


The Fear You Won't Fall

by WellDoneBeca



Series: The Fear You Won't Fall Series [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assault attemp, Beauxbatons, Black Family (Harry Potter) - Freeform, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Crushes, Damsels in Distress, Developing Relationship, Durmstrang, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Godric's Hollow, Lucius Malfoy is an okay parent, Malfoy Family, Malfoy Family Feels (Harry Potter), Narcissa Malfoy is an okay parent, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), Reader-Insert, Secret Crush, Triwizard Tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 03:32:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 46
Words: 39,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16109900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WellDoneBeca/pseuds/WellDoneBeca
Summary: George Weasley had no problem with crushes. Really, he was confident enough when he had a crush and always acted on them, but as much as he considered himself somehow nice with women, you… Well, you were definitely a completely different territory.





	1. I

George Weasley had no problem with crushes. He was confident enough when he had a crush and always acted on them, but as much as he considered himself somewhat good with women, you were a completely different territory.

You were a Malfoy, Lucius’ oldest daughter.

The first time he had noticed you was in your sorting ceremony along with other first-years. He didn’t know your name or family before then. You had your chin up the moment you had sat down to be selected, and gave a very large smile when the sorting hat pointed you right into Slytherin.

After learning who you were he didn’t need to exchange one word with you to know that you were just another spoiled Malfoy who thought of yourself as superior to anyone who wasn’t pure of blood and judged and hated his family.

But that was thing… You were never like the other Malfoys to him or anyone in his family.

You didn’t talk down to any of them. When you were in class with him and Fred, you were even kind to them, and he’d caught you smiling at him not only once or twice, but five times since Christmas. You had a beautiful smile, somehow the same features that made your brother look weird gave you an interesting look. One day, in the middle of winter, you’d fallen on your butt onto snow and he froze in place. From afar, he could see the way your hair perfectly framed your face and how your eyes glimmered in glee before shooting a snowball in a random direction. You just were too pretty to be a Malfoy.

So, maybe he liked you a tiny bit more than he was really supposed to.

Or… A lot more.

It didn’t matter though. You were two people from very different worlds, you’d never even be friends, much less anything else.

The first time  **you** had seen George Weasley and not looked past him was during the 422nd Quidditch World Cup on your way to watch the game between the Irish and the Bulgarian teams.

Of course, you knew the Weasleys were there to watch the game and didn’t care in the least, but that was the first time you’d paid any attention to any of them.

You were walking up to the Luxury Box to meet your brother and parents when you slipped on the stairs and fell into someone’s arms.

Your eyes had closed shut in response to the incoming impact, and when you opened them, you were completely frozen. Shiny brown irises were staring right into yours and long strands of red hair were brushing against the skin of your forehead.

He needed a haircut, that was a fact.

“Well,” you let out in a breath, swallowing down saliva. “Hello.”

“Y/N!” you heard Draco’s voice, your head practically snapping in the direction, finding your brother staring at you from a few stories above. He didn’t say anything else, just stared at you and waited while you composed yourself.

“Thank you,” you nodded discreetly, putting back your usual cold facade before walking away, and George was left behind with a smile on his face.

When you reached your brother, he appeared profoundly confused and bothered.

“What were you doing with that Weasley?”

“I slipped, he kept me from falling,” you said as it was obvious. “I thanked him and left.”

“Why?” he frowned. “He’s just another Weasley. Which one is that one, anyway?”

You didn’t know. You knew he was one of the twins, Fred and George. The two of them were in the same year as you and sat behind you in some classes.

“Even though you’d lost yours, I still have my manners,” you reminded your brother. “And I don’t know which Weasley he is. There’s too many of them to count. Now, can we just go or do you have anything else to ask?”

He just offered you an arm, and you accepted silently, walking up with him.

“Sit down,” your mother pointed as soon as she caught a glimpse of you two. “The game is about to start.”


	2. II

“Mother didn’t want to have Y/N too far from home,” Draco explained in the cabin right across yours. “And father decided not to have us apart when it was my time to go to school as well.”

You always sat across from each other since he joined Hogwarts.

Eleanor turned to you in curiosity.

“Is the true?” she questioned.

“Yes,” you confirmed. “Durmstrang had a good program. They teach the Dark Arts and not just defence against it. Father thought it would be a good choice but mother intervened.”

You stood up.

“I’ll go change,” you announced. “I’ll be back soon.”

Minutes later, you were fixing your hair in the mirror, trying to make it fall a certain way before eventually giving up. It wasn’t a bad look.

You had just closed the door and stepped forward when the train made a turn that sent you in a wrong direction and, once again, a pair of arms caught you.

“I’m starting to think you do that on purpose.”

You froze on the spot and your eyes widened.

“Beg your pardon?”

“Well, you’re always throwing yourself in my arms every time we see one another.”

Weasley was standing just above you, probably the same one that had held you when you slipped in the cup. On his face, he held a smug smile that, honestly made you want to punch him.

Quickly, you pulled yourself from his grip, straightening your clothes and putting on an angry face just as your cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

“I’m… You… I…” you stuttered.

“You know, I’m starting to think you fancy me, Malfoy.”

You almost slapped him.

“Me? Fancying you, Weasley? Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? What an absurd...!” you said, keeping your voice down. “You could be the last man in Hogwarts and I wouldn’t even glance at you. I don’t know what you’re thinking but I’m not desperate.”

“Y/N,” you heard behind yourself and turned your head to find your brother right behind you. “What’s going on?”

“Weasley is being absurd as always!” you accused.

Draco put a protective hand on your arm, ready to pull you back so he could stand in front of you.

“Who do you think you are to even say a word to her, Weasel?” he said, almost ready to spit on Weasley’s face. “Don’t you…”

You squeezed your brother’s hand before he continued, not wanting to make a scene.

“Come on,” you squeezed him carefully. “He doesn’t deserve our attention, Draco.”

You pulled your brother away, walking the two of you back to your cabins.

“Stupid Weasley,” he muttered under his breath. “Thinking he can come around and dare to…”

“Let that go, Draco,” you interrupted him. “Thank you for trying to help me but I can deal with my own problems, okay?”

He glanced at you, walking back to his cabin with his friends as you sat down and crossed your legs, and Eleanor glanced at you.

“What happened?” she enquired.

“Nothing,” you moved your eyes to the window.

It wasn’t worth talking about.


	3. III

You tried to ignore the pair of eyes on your neck as you stood behind Snape in line silently, seeing how McGonagall yelled and yelled at Gryffindors for pushing each other and other things that sounded very stupid.

You waited silently, trying to see where the two schools – Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would appear from – feeling both nervous and excited. You wanted to know who they were, meet people out of Hogwarts’ gates, and discover what the tournament was all about.

You jumped back when a large carriage landed in front of the 1 st years, causing everyone to step back. You could see a coat of arms with two crossed golden wands and six stars on the door before someone opened it and a boy came out, offering his hand to a very, very tall woman. She was just as tall as Hagrid.

As Dumbledore started clapping, you and other students did the same. 

Her students just glanced at all of your group before leaving, and you heard a low noise coming from the darkness. Someone yelled about the lake just in time for a mast to appear.

Soon, a ship rose out of the water, looking almost ghostly. Minutes later, after anchoring, you could see people leaving the ship and their silhouettes became more visible, each very bulky. It didn’t take more than one second to recognise the man in front of the group.

Igor Karkaroff. The headmaster of Durmstrang and…

Viktor Krum?

* * *

 

The students of Durmstrang sat at the Slytherin table and Viktor was beside Draco, who eagerly leant in his direction.

“Viktor Krum,” he smiled, offering him a hand to shake. “I’m Draco. Draco Malfoy.”

When Krum shook his hand, your younger brother pointed at you.

“That’s my sister Y/N,” he pointed. “She’s a 6 th year, 16. She can speak Bulgarian and Romanian if you need any help.”

Krum took your hand politely.

“Приятно ми е да се запознаем, Y/N,” he said in Bulgarian, kissing your knuckles politely.

(It’s a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.)

You smiled back at him.

“Удоволствието е изцяло мое.”

(The pleasure is all mine.)

Draco was only half honest. You were okay in Bulgarian but spoke very poor Romanian. If he’d tried to talk to you in it, you’d be completely humiliated.

You ate modestly, seeing in the corner of your eyes Weasley – the one in Draco’s year – devour his food like an animal. It had gotten slightly sickening, and you ended up giving up before your stomach was even close to full.

"The moment has come," Dumbledore stood up, smiling in our direction. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the Goblet...”

He continued to talk, introducing Mr Crouch and Mr Ludo Bagman, both of them were very important for the tournament as planners and judges.

Filch approached Dumbledore when called, placing a large wooden chest in front of the headmaster. It was a Goblet, later enchanted, that would sort names put in there. An age line would be put on to prevent students younger than 17 from entering the tournament.

“Do you think Potter will try to enter the Tournament?” Draco questioned, walking by your side to the common room.

“He won’t even manage to,” you rolled your eyes. “The Goblet is enchanted,” you reminded him. “You’re not thinking of trying, are you?”

Your brother’s eyes widened.

“No. Never.”

You only nodded.

“Good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quote "The moment has come," "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket...” was taken from the original book


	4. IV

Potter had tried to participate, and even more than that, he had been selected as the 4 th participant of the Triwizard tournament. It was honestly absurd, and the whole school knew that. Regardless, he was accepted and was now competing along with Cedric Diggory – from Hufflepuff, Fleur Delacour – from Beauxbatons, and Viktor Krum.

The news had set the trio apart, honestly. Potter and his Weasley weren’t even looking at one another, and Granger was just bouncing back and forth between them as far as you’d heard.

He was probably gonna die, anyway. He wouldn’t survive the tournament. Better equipped people had died.

You were nervous when you reached the arena to watch the first task. You weren’t sat with the Slytherins, no. You and Draco had been invited by Aleksandar, a Durmstrang student that had ended up close to you. He’d invited you two to sit with him in a very good seat.

“Dragons!” he exclaimed, excited.

It was terrifying. You didn’t understand how some people could just keep staring and, involuntarily ended up curling around Aleksandar more times that you’d ever intended, almost crushing Draco’s hand on your opposite side. Each time you heard a whistle or an announcement, your first thought was asking whether the champion was dead on alive.

When it was over, you felt relieved. Maybe there was a way of escaping the next task? You didn’t need to watch it all, did you?

“I’m not a Gryffindor,” you muttered when Draco joked about you not looking at the most important moments. “I don’t need to pretend to be brave enough to watch all of that.”

Aleksandar chuckled and took your hand into his, squeezing it slightly.

“You don’t have to be brave,” he said slowly, working over his accent. “Your beauty is enough to compensate.”

You frowned for a moment, releasing his hand and looking at him and trying hard to decipher if that had been an actual compliment or not, but it appeared to have passed right over your brother’s head, as he quickly changed the subject.

Just a few metres away, George felt Fred’s elbow hitting him on the ribs.

“You’re staring.”

And he was. The whole time during the task his eyes had fallen on you even without him wanting. And there you were, every time you got scared you’d turned to the 7 th year from Durmstrang, and he’d smile like he’d just won a prize and not a beautiful girl by his side. He didn’t even try to comfort you, and your stupid brother was too focused on the champions to realise you were distressed.

Two arseholes.

“He isn’t even paying the right attention to her, come on,” he complained to his twin. “Look. He probably said some bullshit, she looked way too annoyed for him to have said something good or even okay!”

Fred turned to him, completely confused.

“And why do you care? It’s Malfoy. Girl Malfoy, but still Malfoy!” he crossed his arms. “You’ve been like that since the cup.”

And Fred was right.

Of course, they both knew Y/N since they got into school. He’d known what he needed to know about her. She was beautiful, a bit above average when it came to being smart, very witty, and ambitious. She never started something she didn’t plan to finish and knew very well how to manipulate things to make them better for her, it was admirable. Oh, and she hated when Draco pulled a ‘my father will hear about this’ because she was all about solving her own problems and him doing the same.

“Look, she’s not that bad, okay?” he affirmed. “I mean… Not every Slytherin is bad. I think.”

Fred was surprised.

“So… What? Do you have a crush on her or something? ”

George shifted uncomfortably.

“Pff,” he rolled his eyes. “Of course not. That’s crazy.”


	5. V

When the Yule Ball was announced, you and Draco were the ones to show the other Slytherins how to properly dance.

The wintery night was beautiful, and you carefully put on the dress robes your mother had gotten you. It was silver with dark green velvet details and small crystals that matched the ones placed in your hair. You also had tiny diamonds as earrings and a larger diamond as a ring on your finger.

Draco’s clothes were dark and elegant. His dress robes were black velvet, with a high collar, and contrasted with his skin.

“You look like a queen,” he affirmed, smiling at you.

By his side, Crabbe and Goyle were just staring at you with their mouths gaping open.

“Let’s go?” you questioned.

The moment you left the Slytherin common room, Aleksandar was already waiting for you, and his eyes roamed you from head to toe.

“Very beautiful.”

You smiled at him and took his arm to walk to the great hall.

The Champions were the first to enter and dance. Diggory had taken Cho Chang – a 5 th year Ravenclaw – as his partner, and Fleur Delacour followed his example bringing a boy from the same house. You couldn’t remember his name, though, and wouldn’t waste your time trying. Potter was with one of the Patil twins – they were from Draco’s year and different houses – but what surprised you the most was Viktor Krum’s pair. He’d taken none other than Hermione Granger with him and, without the school uniform and some effort, she actually looked like a decent human being. She was even… pretty.

Dinner was delicious. Aleksandar led the conversation most of the time, however, and you couldn’t help but feel annoyed and bored. He didn’t have the least bit of interest in what you had to say and often interrupted you to correct things that didn’t need to be corrected or add comments that weren’t very welcome.

Honestly, you were starting to think he only wanted a pretty girl by his side to show off.

When it was time to dance, Aleksandar lead you through the ballroom as soon as the first pair joined the champions, swinging you elegantly and always looking into your eyes. His coat was fluffy and soft under your fingertips, and his hand very rough – a strong contrast for you. He had amazing coordination and skills and only left your side when Draco asked you for a dance.

Everyone was still in the ballroom when he squeezed your hand tightly and pulled you out of the crowd, leaning down until his lips found your ear.

“Vhy don’t you show me Hogvards’?” he said, loud enough for you to hear.

That’s how you ended up walking out of the great hall and walking through the corridors, you showing him some spots you could find from memory. You tried to find spots that were interesting while staying close enough to where you knew people would be nearby. Something about being completely alone with Aleksandar gave you bad chills.

You were in the rose garden when you walked a few steps away from him to touch the flowers and felt his hand wrapping around your wrist and pulling you. In a second, you were against a tree with his lips pressed against yours and your eyes completely wide in shock.

“What are you doing?” you tried to exclaim against his lips, pushing his large and broad body away from you.

Aleksandar gave you a smirk, still pressing you against the tree.

“You don’t haff’ to play hard to get,” he moved his hands to your waist.

“I’m not playing hard to get,” you tried to push his hands away. “I don’t… Take your fucking hands off of me. Let me go!”

He frowned deeply, seeming both confused and angry.

“I spent time with you,” he argued. “I gave you a seat at the tournament, took you to the ball and danced with you! You owe me.”

He pressed his lips against yours again, this time using one of his hands to pin both of yours away from him by holding your wrists tightly, and you struggled in his grip and tried to scream.

Aleksandar’s free hand moved to your hair to keep your head from moving, and the grip was so strong it made your whole scalp hurt.

The moment his mouth left yours, you let out the loudest shriek you could before his palm landed roughly over your mouth.

You cursed yourself for not bringing your wand with you, which now left you completely defenceless, but apparently, someone had heard you over the music.

“I believe the damsel said you should let her go,” Weasley said loudly behind you, holding his wand high. “Now let her go.”

“Mind your own business,” Aleksandar spat.

But Weasley wasn’t impressed.

“Don’t make me hex you.”

You used the distraction to get out of his grip. A good portion of the crystals in your hair fell during your release, but you couldn’t care less. You only had time to walk to Weasley before Professor Snape and Karkaroff emerged from the shadows in your aid.

“What is going on here?” the head of your house questioned, putting himself almost between you and the foreign student.

“Malfoy was screaming for help, I just came to help,” Weasley quickly pointed. “He was… Trying to do stuff without her wanting.”

Everyone’s eyes fell on you, and you could only wonder how terrible you looked. Your hair was a complete mess, you certainly had some bruise where he’d just roughly pushed you and your face wasn’t the best thing to look at right now.

“Miss Malfoy,” Snape turned to you. “Is that true?”

You nodded quickly, trying to maintain your dignity.

“Yes, sir. Weasley just came to help.”

“What happened?” he questioned, his face completely frozen, and you glanced at Aleksandar, standing beside Karkaroff.

When the professor noticed your hesitation, he pointed in a direction and motioned for you to walk with him a bit far away, where you narrated in whispers what had just happened to you, and showed him how your wrists were already marked from grip around them. When you were done, he let you go saying he wanted to see you in his office the next day, and Weasley followed you quickly, leaving the two adults behind with Aleksandar.

“Are you okay?” he asked, sounding worried. “Did he hurt you? Do you need to me call your brother or something?”

Oh, yes. Draco was still at the ball.

You shook your head.

“I’ll be fine,” you decided. “You can go back to the ball, I’ll just go to bed. Thank you.”

But he didn’t walk away, and instead stopped in front of you.

“Can I at least take you there?” he offered. “You know… I want to make sure you get there safely.”

You paused, glancing at him.

“Okay.”

You walked there in silence within a safe distance for each other and, when you were close enough to your common room, you turned to him.

“This is where you should leave,” you told him. “It’s a secret entrance.”

Weasley gave you an awkward smile.

“Of course. So… Good night.”

“Good night.”

He turned away and you did the same, but stopped in your tracks when something popped into your head.

“Hey,” you called and he stopped to look at you quickly. “What is your name?”

“George,” he smiled. “George Weasley. Pleased to meet you.”

You confirmed with your head.

“Thank you for helping me, George Weasley.”


	6. VI

You woke up at the break of the dawn, writing a letter to your mother to tell her what had happened and how a boy – who you had been careful not to name – had saved you from Aleksandar. Your father would probably take care of him, and you put your attention carefully on asking her to send something for you to give to the boy. Some cakes and sweets, nothing too elaborate or everyone would know you were the one gifting them to him.

When you visited Professor Snape, he assured you Aleksandar would be sent back to Durmstrang in less than a couple of hours and dealt with. When breakfast time came, you received an owl back from your mother with a package and a worried letter that you would remind yourself to respond to later. Draco had also gotten a letter, one much longer than yours, which prompted him to just close it and probably save for later reading.

When you finished eating, feeling some heavy eyes from the Durmstrang students all over you, you walked to your dorm to write a letter and set up George Weasley’s gift, sending it with an owl and running back to where he was to try and see his reaction.

“What’s up with him?” Ron elbowed Fred in his ribs, pointing to George with a confused face.

Their brother had his head in the clouds since the previous night. He had said something about helping a girl out after the ball but didn’t mention her name or whether she was from Hogwarts or just a visitor from one of the foreign schools. He also didn’t say what he had done to help her, but if it was that fixed on his mind, it probably was something quite meaningful.

They became silent when a big owl entered and dropped the largest box right in front of George, missing his hand by only mere centimetres.

Y/N was far away just enough to watch as everyone turned to see what had happened. Weasley’s brothers and sister were the ones with the widest eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of anything while he opened the package.

George was completely surprised while he pulled the things out from inside the box. A ‘Broomstick Servicing Kit’, a new pair of gloves that looked like they were worth more than a whole outfit his parents could get him, and lots of sweets. Several boxes of Every Flavour Beans, pudding, many chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties, and other things he’d never get together at the same time. It was like a candy shop just for himself.

“What’s all that?” Ron exclaimed. “Did the owl give it to the wrong person? That can’t possibly be for you.”

He picked up a small note just as his brother spoke. It was too much, his mother wouldn’t send him all that. His parents couldn’t even afford that. This had to be a mistake.

But it wasn’t.

‘Thank you for being my hero, George Weasley.’

He didn’t even realise he had the stupidest smile on his face when he realised who it had come from. Honestly, he couldn’t keep you out of his mind since the moment he left you in the dungeons. He hadn’t even slept thinking about if you were okay.

“Well?” Ron insisted. “Who is that for?”

George raised his eyes to him, surprised for a moment.

“Oh. It’s for me,” he shook the note slightly and folded it before hiding it away from the others. “It’s… Uh… It’s from...”

“His Damsel in Distress,” Fred added. “George played hero yesterday. That’s his thanks letter.”

George felt his ears reddening and Ginny giggled. Everyone seemed very surprised by the revelation.

“What’s her name?” she questioned. “Is she from Hogwarts? Do we know her?”

But he didn’t respond, just putting his things back into the box.

“I’m not talking about her,” he finally affirmed. “It’s nothing, okay. I just helped and she is thanking me.”

They exchanged looks, but no one said anything else. Fred was the only one who knew anything about Y/N Malfoy and her impact on his life.

Silently, George made a note to himself to ask Molly for something for Y/N before school went back to its usual routine. Nothing like a sweater, she would never wear anything like that.

Maybe a green or grey scarf. Maybe she’d wear something like that.

Yes… He’d just need to tell Molly to be discreet.


	7. VII

George tried to look casual while walking to the library, holding the present in his hand tightly. It was just a few days after Christmas – time enough for his mother to find some silver-grey and dark green wool, and knit a scarf that matched your uniform, so she could wear his gift without fearing anyone would look twice at it. It wasn’t a branded scarf – he had caught a glimpse of it and it didn’t look much like the one in their uniform, and that made it much more unique.

He really hoped you liked it. Your Christmas present to him was something huge and expensive, and he really wanted to give you something back.

‘Meet me in the library’, he had sent the note to you in the morning, completely nervous and hoping no one would find the two of you.

You were hiding in one of the sections, between the shelves, and looking around anxiously.

“Hey,” he smiled, feeling his cheeks heat a bit when he saw you.

“Hello,” you smiled softly, flushing a bit when your eyes met. “Did something happen? The note looked pretty urgent.”

His eyes widened at the question, but George quickly shook his head.

“No. It’s okay. I mean… Well, something happened but it was good. Professor McGonagall called me up and I got 150 points for Gryffindor after she heard about what I did.”

You nodded and lowered your eyes down to the present in his hand, and he quickly raised it.

“Here,” he said, giving it to you. “It’s your Christmas present. A very late Christmas present.”

You frowned, looking at him with curiosity and then back at the wrapped thing before opening it and pulling out a scarf. It was in the colour of your uniform and very soft.

“My mum made it,” he explained nervously. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her you were you but I said you were a Slytherin… Friend?”

Your head shot up to look at his face.

“You think we’re friends?” you let out, unable to control yourself, and his eyes widened.

George felt his heart race. You didn’t want him as a friend? Maybe he was understanding it all wrong? Shit, what would he do with that scarf, he couldn’t just send it back home. His mother wouldn’t leave him alone at all. He was already bracing himself for her thousands of questions when she caught him alone at home.

“Yeah,” he let out slowly. “I… Guess? Are we?”

You nodded slowly.

“I-I don’t… I don’t know,” you stuttered. “Do you want to be my friend? The people from your house hates mine. And your father and my father...”

“We are not our fathers,” he interrupted you. “Well, your dad is kinda...”

He interrupted himself when you raised a single eyebrow at him.

“Don’t mind that. But we are friends. I do want to be your friend.”

You let out a tiny smile and George fidgeted with the paper in his hands a second before you picked up the scarf and slowly put it around your neck, styling it and smiling at him. George’s heart raced almost instantly. Oh damn, you had a beautiful smile.

“You look great,” he blurted out. “I mean… It looks great on you.”

You moved your hand to the scarf, feeling its fabric underneath your fingers.

“Thank you. It’s very beautiful and it feels quite warm… and cosy.”

“Yeah,” he smiled, still staring at you.

You two fell into silence and soon you were just looking at each other awkwardly.

“I think I should go,” you finally said. “Draco is probably looking for me.”

“Yeah,” he scratched the back of his head. “Sure. I need to go too. Bye?”

You nodded.

“Bye.”

But neither of you moved.

“I should go first,” he suggested. “And then… You go?”

“Sure,” you agreed. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”


	8. VIII

Your mother was too much of an uptight woman to send Draco a Howler, but she certainly would do so if she could. The day after the Yule Ball, she’d sent you two letters, and his honestly looked the size of the Daily Prophet. You had caught a glimpse of it and were very surprised her quill hadn’t torn the paper with how aggressively she’d written it.

So now he was almost shielding you from every single boy and man in the school’s territory. Anything that carried a male sexual organ was imminent danger.

It was your last day before you went back to the usual school routine and everyone who’d gone home was coming back. Your father had decided to show up to see you and Draco. You were wearing the scarf George had given you when you heard he wanted to meet you and hid it very deep in your chest before dressing up with something he’d already seen you with, leaving your dorm just in time to see him entering the common room.

You walked swiftly in his direction.

“Father,” you said politely and sweetly. “Hello.”

Draco moved to your side almost instantly.

“Y/N, he ran his eyes over you and then your brother. “Draco.”

“Father.”

You felt tension increasing and in the corner of your eyes you could see students leaving to ‘give you privacy’.

“To what do we owe the visit?” you tried to keep your words light.

“Your mother told me about your incident at the Yule Ball, so I came here to discuss the situation with the headmaster and see if my daughter is in her best state.”

You knew that voice.

‘It’s in the past. Pick yourself together.’

Not the best comforting words, but your father was never good with those.

“It’s done,” you affirmed. “There is no need to drag it on for longer than needed.”

He watched your face for a bit and finally nodded.

“Good.”

He turned to your brother.

“Draco, would you come with me?”

He glanced at you for a moment and gulped.

“Of course.”

The two left and you fell on the couch.

Good Merlin.

You made your way back to your dorm, deciding to just get into your bed and under your covers with a book in hand, you had plenty of those. You were already half a book in when your eyes fell on the chest on the end of your bed. You were arguing with yourself about getting the scarf George had given you before giving up and doing so. You had just laid back under the covers when Eleanor opened the door.

“Hey,” she sat on her mattress. “Nice scarf.”

You felt your cheeks in flames.

“Thanks,” you looked down to your book, trying to hide your embarrassment.

 

“So he just… Showed up?” George questioned in a whisper. “Out of nowhere?”

You nodded.

You sat in the in the emptiest corner of the library while he was almost laying on the table, hands randomly playing with his wand.

“He does that sometimes,” you moved your eyes from the parchment to look at him. “It’s not a surprise.”

You had come alone to study. This was your favourite spot, you could be away from the noise and from the people watching you or couples kissing.

“So, he just comes to watch you and see if you’re in line?” he raised his eyebrows to you. “Wow. Controller much?”

You frowned, turning to him.

“I’m sure he has the best intentions,” you defended your father. “He just wants to make sure we’re okay.”

“That’s what you’re saying,” he whispered, sighing. “You done?”

George had come in with no clear reason and tentatively sat with you.

“Bored?”, you asked as you dipped your quill in ink.

“Well, it’s a perfect snowy day outside and we don’t have anything to do for an hour or so. And I know a very nice place to have a snowball fight that happens to be mostly empty during the day.”

You grinned at George and paused for a moment.

“Alright.”

You put your things in your backpack and followed him while George kept a tiny smile on his face. When the two of you reached the empty patio, he stopped to watch you look around. The snow was reflecting the sun all over your face and your eyes had changed colours along with all the white.

You were so bloody beautiful.

He woke up from his state when a snowball hit him on the face.

“Didn’t your mother tell you it was rude to stare?”

He felt his cheeks, neck, and ears get red in embarrassment before recomposing himself.

“Come on,” you smiled, grabbing more snow in your hands. “You’re not afraid of hitting me, right?”

He was, but just a bit. But when his first snowball hit you on your chest right after your words, he completely left his worry aside and ran to find a place to hide while you did the same.

You played like two kids and when you two realised it, you were already covered in white snow and. With a miscalculated movement, you fell together on the ground with you on top of him.

He just stared at you with his mouth slightly open, watching as your giggle slowly died and your eyes bore into his.

You opened your mouth hesitantly twice before finally speaking.

“I think I should go,” you decided, standing on your feet. “It’s getting late.”

“Yeah,” he sat up. “You’re right.”

You nodded and he scratched the back of his neck.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Sure,” you said quickly. “Bye.”

You took off almost running, and he was left behind, letting out the longest sigh.

_ Bloody Merlin… What were you doing to him? _


	9. IX

You hugged yourself a bit tighter under your covers. It was the day of the second task and you had woken up with a terrible fever. Madam Pomfrey was in such a hurry she had only given you a potion to take and rushed out the instructions; saying that you should sleep and she’d be back before you realised before she ran off to attend the 2 nd task.

“Y/N,” you heard by your side, trying to get back to sleep. “Y/N/N!”

You opened your eyes just a tiny bit, finding George just in front of you.

“What?” you groaned.

He pulled up a chair, sitting by your side.

“I was looking for you all around,” he whispered. “I heard a girl saying she saw Draco bringing you here. What happened?”

“Black cat flu,” you whined.

You usually had a very strong immune system, so you were very surprised you had fallen sick. With two large groups from different countries living in the school however, you could see where this had come from.

“That sucks,” he rested his chin on the bed. “You’re losing out on all the fun.”

“You too,” you reminded him. “Why are you here?”

George shrugged.

“Draco is out there, your friend… Uh… What’s her name? Something Rosier?”

“Eleanor. Eleanor Rosier.”

He nodded.

“She’s out there too,” he shrugged. “And I imagined you would be alone, so I came here to see you.”

You gave him a small smile.

“Thank you,” you said, surprised. “But you should be out there. You don’t want to stay around. I’m sick, you may catch it.”

George chuckled.

“Well, maybe I want to catch it,” he gave you a wicked smile.

Your rose your eyebrows at him, completely shocked.

“George!”

“What?” he sat up, smiling openly. “Look, I’ll be out of classes for a week, I won’t need to compete with Ron for the food  **and** I’ll have you right here, which is the best part. I mean, it’s a week of not needing to sneak around or go to the library all the time just to have five minutes without risking having people gossiping around.”

You shook your head.

Your friendship with George was probably the biggest secret you’d kept from your family. You didn’t know about the Weasleys, but if anyone in your family heard you two were close in any way you would be in huge trouble. So almost every day you sneaked around to see one another for a couple of minutes before going back to your usual lives.

Most of the time, you shared stories about your lives. George’s tales about him and Fred and their inventions and adventures were always a way he could make you laugh, and your own stories about your family – or the little you could tell of them – gave him insight to the type of life you actually lived.

Outside the trips and presents and things that money could buy, and even with Draco as your brother, you sounded like someone quite lonely and who wanted something more out of life. Not that you didn’t like the money, you spoke of the trips and things you had in such a way that he could see it was big in your life, but hearing about your parents made him feel rather grateful his were how they were. Money was something the Weasleys didn’t have much of, but Molly was always loving and brutally honest with them, and Arthur was very affectionate and present in his and his siblings lives. To him, Lucius sounded a lot more like having a teacher at home watching your every step, than a proper father.

Internally, he took a note about how he’d never be like that to his kids if he eventually became a parent.

“You really think that?” you whispered.

Not even Draco had said anything about that to you. The moment you had insisted for him to leave you and go watch the task, he turned on his heels, put his “Potter Sucks” button right over his heart and ran out with Crabbe and Goyle.

Nice brother, the one you had.

“I would never lie to you,” he rolled his eyes. “Do I look like a Sly...”

He stopped in the middle of the word, biting his tongue.

“Sorry. It’s a habit.”

“It’s okay,” you shrugged. “We are indeed good liars.”

He blushed not looking directly into your eyes.

“I mean… You know,” you shrugged. “Slytherins are ambitious, we can do anything to get where we want.”

You rested your head back on your pillow - which Eleanor had given Draco to bring into the infirmary from the dorm.

“Most of us aren’t above lying.”

He hesitated.

“Are you?”

You turned to George, staring bluntly into his eyes.

“Once, I put a pimple potion in a girl’s pumpkin juice because she copied from my test and then made everyone believed it was Eleanor.”

His eyes widened, completely surprised. He didn’t know you could be that cold.

“Really?”

You stared at him for a long moment, but then started laughing.

“No,” you shook your head, making your hair go everywhere. “I wish I had, though. I wasn’t that good with potions. But you believed me!”

He let out a nervous laugh, relaxing.

“You really got me with that one.”

You continued laughing, until it became a giggle and died.

“But, yes George, I can lie if I need.”

He hesitated, playing with the sheets under his fingertips.

“But I’ll never lie to you,” you decided. “Don’t worry.”

George looked at you with his mouth parted open, surprised, and then smiled.

“Thank you for that.”


	10. X

Fred glanced at his side when George fell on the empty seat on the couch in the Gryffindor common room.

“How is she?”

“Too sick to go to Hogsmeade,” he muttered.

Fred was the only one who knew about George’s friendship with you. It’s not that the others didn’t think something was going on, but they didn’t know who you were or what you two had.

“Well, your plans for a date is spoiled, then.”

“Date?” Ginny turned her head fully to them. “You’re dating someone?”

“I’m not dating anyone,” he said grumpily, feeling his whole face hot and red.

“I bet it’s the mystery girl,” Ron accused. “He’s always disappearing to see her.”

Harry and Hermione only raised their eyebrows, fixing their eyes on George, who only kept blushing more and more.

“No, I’m not!”

“I heard she’s from Durmstrang,” Fred fed the fire and his twin turned to him with his brown eyes widened. “And friends with Krum.”

Ron glanced at them with an annoyed face.

“Maybe you four could have a double date, Hermione,” he continued. “Then maybe someone will see mystery girl.”

His youngest brother chuckled.

“Maybe she is really ugly,” he accused. “And that’s why he doesn’t want us to see her.”

George rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything.

“Yep,” Ron decided. “Really, really ugly.”

“Anything else?” you questioned Eleanor after she explained what Professor McGonagall had requested for the next class.

She put her hand in her pocket.

“Someone left this for you on my desk,” she pulled out the object, laying the box in front of you and you looked at it in surprise.

A chocolate frog.

“How do you know it was for me?” you frowned. “It could be for you.”

“Well, I’m not Miss Malfoy,” she said with a smirk, pulling out a note and showing it to you.

Quickly, you recognised George’s handwriting.

“To Miss Malfoy,” you read out loud. “Get well soon.”

She smiled at you and nudged you in the ribs with your elbow.

“A secret admirer?”

“Maybe,” you teased, opening the box and pulling out the frog, biting it before it could jump out of your reach.

Merlin, with Madam Pomfrey keeping you on such a tight leash so you could heal faster, you’d missed chocolate so much.

“Maybe?” Eleanor rested her elbows on the bed. “Come on, we both know you’re hiding something from everyone. Who is he?”

You shook your head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you decided. “I’ve never been so single.”

She chuckled.

“Alright, then.”

It was impossible to deny that you and George had… Something. You didn’t know what it was, didn’t know what it would become… All you knew was that it was something different from anything you’d ever felt in your life.

“I have to go,” she stood up. “Are you sure you’ll be okay alone tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” you put your things aside. “Don’t worry. Draco will bring me a couple of books before leaving.”

She nodded and left, and you yawned once you were alone. Although you were getting better you still had fevers more than once a day, and that was what kept you in the medical wing since you’d fallen with the Black Cat Flu.

It was boring to be alone, honestly. You slept for most of the day, and while you had scattered visits from Eleanor and Draco, George showed up every single day. He’d been ‘such a good boy’ according to Madam Pomfrey, that she always let him in and hid the fact he was there all the time from anyone who asked. Once, she’d even found a place to hide him when Draco showed up during one of his visits. Apparently, she had a thing for ‘young innocent love’.

You’d never seen George blush so deeply and never felt your cheeks hotter when you two heard that.

“Have a nice sleep, my dear,” she said, turning off the main lights just as you curled under the sheet.

“Good night, ma’am.”


	11. XI

You covered your mouth with your hand, trying to muffle your laughter while George watched you.

“How come no one told me about that?!” you exclaimed.

He’d just told you about the day he and his brother had tried to put their names in the Goblet of Fire and ended up with huge red beards and puffy hair, looking decades older. 

“Well, lots of people did it,” he shrugged. “It’s not like we were the only ones.”

You shook your head.

“It was a stupid decision,” you decided. “A very stupid decision.”

He shrugged.

“It was worth the try. They got us only for a few months.”

You tilted your head just the slightest.

“Did you turn 17 already?”

He shook his head.

“This April,” he corrected you. “On the first of April.”

You opened your eyes at him, completely surprised.

“On April Fools?!”

He smiled openly.

“Right on it,” your friend nodded.

“Big coincidence!” you affirmed.

He shook his head, smiling even bigger now.

“No, my dear. I call that destiny.”

You rested your head back on your pillow.

“You’ve heard of our pranks, right?” he enquired. “Stuff we do and all?”

You nodded. Fred and George were rather famous in school for their pranks. They’d even been rumoured to have invented a spell along with their usual magical things.

“We made a Canary Cream recently,” he said smiling. “It turns people into...”

“Canaries?” you rose an eyebrow.

George confirmed eagerly.

“They are custard creams,” he explained. “You should take some to the Slytherin Commons.”

You two exchanged looks before you started laughing together.

“Don’t give me any ideas,” you pointed. “Although… That little friend of Draco’s deserves something to keep her mouth shut. Her voice annoys me even if she on the other side of the corridor.”

He frowned.

“Who are you talking about? Parkinson?”

You nodded.

“Who else would that be?” you raised your eyebrows at him. “She’s such a brat.”

George just stared at you, half smiling and half frowning.

“Come on, I thought you were a brat for the last six years,” he pointed.

Your jaw fell open in response.

“I never behaved anything like that to you!” you exclaimed. “I was always very polite!”

He laughed loudly.

You were right. You’d never been close to rude to him or anything like that. Every time he bumped into you or you shared a classroom, you either ignored him or treated him in a cordial way.

“Alright, Miss Malfoy,” he rolled his eyes. “Maybe I was wrong. But you were always just so… Malfoy.”

You tilted your head, completely confused.

“Beg your pardon?”

“Look at yourself,” he pointed. “You’re this… Beautiful girl from a very rich family, with your back always straight and walking with your head up, with your hair in place and your clothes always smooth and clean. I could always smell you from across the room and you never smelt less than good.”

You continued staring at him.

“Thank you,” you said in a low voice.

“You’re welcome,” he looked down at his own hands, playing with the sheet between his fingers. “Well, anyway. You were always this... Perfect girl,” he said firmly. “I always thought you’d be uptight and annoying.”

“Do you still think that?” you questioned in a soft voice.

“That you’re uptight and annoying?” he said, surprised. “No way! I mean, you’re still a Slytherin. But I see how that can be okay now that I know you. And you’re a bit of a goody-two-shoes, even for a Slytherin, but maybe you’re a good influence. Professor McGonagall was surprised when we delivered our homework every single time in her last three of four classes, me and Fred. She said she couldn’t remember the last time we actually did so.”

You chuckled, shaking your head. It’s not that George or his brother had done any homework. You’d just let him copy from yours with some modifications to make it look like it was something he’d done alone – or at least they’d done together – and Fred had done the same. You didn’t mind, it wasn’t like he asked you for it, you were the one offering it to him.

You rested back on the bed and bit your fingernail nervously when a question crossed your mind.

“Do you still think I’m that?”

He looked at you in confusion.

“Annoying?”

“No,” you shook your head, not looking directly at him. “Beautiful and… Perfect.”

George’s mouth opened and closed for a moment before Madam Pomfrey walked into the room.

"Alright, Mr Weasley,” she walked to you. “Time to go, Miss Malfoy needs to take her potions and rest. Go, go, go.”

He stood up dumbly as she pushed him away, and your eyes were completely glued to him.

“Wait,” he finally said, almost out of your field of vision. “Wait.”

The matron put her hands on her waist.

“Mr Weasley!”

“I never stopped thinking that,” he said to you. “I don’t think I will ever find you less than beautiful and perfect.”

And with that, he left.


	12. XII

You put your things together right after Madam Pomfrey said you could leave, with the promise that you’d keep an eye out for any symptoms and show up every single day for three days so she could take note on your recovery.

Your flu had taken more time to heal than you had first expected, and that worried her quite much. It was another Hogsmeade day, which left the castle basically empty and silent, something rare and pleasant.

You had just left the common room and walked out of the dungeons when you saw George right outside the zone.

“Y/N!” he exclaimed, walking to you. “You’re up again.”

“Yes,” you nodded, smiling. “I just got here. Never felt better.”

He gave you a large smile.

“I thought you’d be in Hogsmeade,” you stepped closer to him.

No, you didn’t. Not really. Even since you had gotten sick, he’d stopped going out and just spent his free time with you, something not even your older friends or your brother did.

“I was going to visit you,” he explained. “Got Fred to bring you a chocolate frog on my account but I’m pretty sure he forgot.”

You only gave him a shy smile. You had yet to meet Fred. You’ve seen him and could tell him and George apart, of course, but you two hadn’t exchanged a single word.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Starving.”

George gave you a large smile again.

“Come with me,” he took your hand in his, pulling you along with him.

You felt your cheeks burning but didn’t say anything. You two just kept walking, taking the stairs downwards from the entrance hall and reached a broad corridor, you stopped in front of a painting of a bowl of fruit. He tickled a pear, which giggled, and opened a door you two went through.

You were surprised when you found yourselves in the kitchens. Several house elves were cleaning pots and cooking.

“Mister Fred and George!” one of them exclaimed.

“Just George, Ringo,” he corrected the elf. “This is Y/N, she’s my friend. She was sick these past few days and just left the medical wing. She is absolutely starving. Do you have anything we could eat?”

You were quickly and eagerly ushered to a side table and a meal for at least 10 people was put in front of you, which gave you the opportunity to pick your favourite things and savour them beside George. The food in the medical wing was mostly bland and just barely edible.

**This** was the good stuff.

“Mr George didn’t say he had a girlfriend.”

George’s face went full red in response, and you chugged down juice to keep yourself quiet.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he corrected the elf. “We’re close friends.”

You nodded silently, feeling the elf’s eyes shift between the two of you.

“Of course, Mr George. Ringo will leave Mr George and Miss Y/N alone.”

He left and George chuckled silently.

“What?” you turned to him.

“I was imagining us dating,” he looked at you.

You felt sadness washing over you, realising how terrible of an idea it seemed to be for him. You certainly weren’t that bad, right?

“Your mother would faint,” he affirmed. “My brothers would freeze completely for days. Ginny would send me to a mind healer in St Mungus instantly.”

You chuckled a bit, relaxing.

“My father wouldn’t believe it,” you shook your head. “He would send me out of the country.”

He raised his eyebrows at you, surprised.

“Really?”

You nodded.

“Yeah. Somewhere you couldn’t find me. France, Italy… Bulgaria.”

He lowered his eyes hesitantly.

“We gotta keep this thing close between us, then,” he muttered. “I mean… We’re not dating, but he wouldn’t be that happy with me being your friend. I think.”

You sighed.

“Yeah, he wouldn’t.”

You fell back into the silence as he played with his food.

“Good thing we’re not dating, uh?” he whispered. “It would be… Pretty bad…”

“Yeah… Good thing.”


	13. XIII

Draco glanced up at you while you picked up your things to go take the tests you’d missed during your time sick, his face a weird mix of confusion and concentration like he was trying to read your mind or get inside it.

“There’s something different with you,” he decided.

You and Draco had very little secrets, and that was something that always made you very proud. Ever since you were kids you were each other’s closest friends, and up until you got into Hogwarts he was actually the only kid you were actually around, as you were the only kids in your family.

“Oh, yeah?” you glanced at him.

He shifted on his seat.

“You’re weird. Too happy.”

You felt your shoulders tensing up, but tried to keep a light voice.

“I just spent almost three weeks bed-sick, Draco,” you reminded him. “And now I’m feeling better. I’m pretty sure that has had some effect on me,”

Your brother gave you an inquisitive look, and you raised your eyebrows in response.

“I heard someone sent you a chocolate frog when you were sick,” he said slowly.

“Yeah. Eleanor said it came with a note. It was very sweet.”

It was Draco’s time to raise his eyebrows.

“That’s it? You’re not even telling me who was it?”

You shook your head.

“I don’t even know who it was,” you lied. “Besides, it’s not like someone tried to talk to me after it. I was rather lonely in there as no one liked to spend a lot of time with me. I have a brother, anyway,” you gave him a look. 

“Right.”

Draco blushed and you sighed, standing up.

“Now, if you don’t have any other protests,” you held your things close to your chest. “I have to meet Professor Snape.”

He didn’t say anything as you left, and you let out a breath of relief.

No one had ever seen you with George, you two had always made sure of that, but you couldn’t help but be nervous.

If your father ever heard you were friends with a Weasley... you couldn’t even imagine the consequences. He wouldn’t wait for you to say if it was true or not. You simply couldn’t let your walls down, it was too dangerous.

“Miss Malfoy,” the professor greeted you, standing behind his desk, and you nodded politely while organising your own desk. “Do you have all you need?”

“Yes, sir,” you sat down and held your wand in your hand.

“We may proceed.”

You checked yourself in the mirror for what felt like the 10 th time, and Eleanor just stared at you with her arms crossed.

“Come on, Y/N,” she insisted. “It’s almost time.”

You were nervous. More than nervous. Your hands were shaky and cold, and your heart thundering inside your chest. You were going out to Hogsmeade and would meet George there with Eleanor’s help. She didn’t know who you were out to see but was very excited to know that you and the ‘note boy’ were going out together. You two had even charmed two rings to warn one another about any danger or gossiper.

When you climbed the carriage, toying with the fabric of your clothes between your fingers, she gave you a stern look, which helped you move back to your usual posture just before your brother climbed into another car with his friends.

You walked around with your friend, doing what you usually did for enough time for you to be backed up in case anyone mentioned your disappearance.

You left Eleanor when you got to the smaller streets and found George almost immediately. He was smiling openly and holding one of his hands behind his back as he walked in your direction.

“You’re here,” he stopped in front of you.

“Of course I’m here,” you said with a smile. “I said I’d be here.”

George blushed deeply, reddening from his neck to his ears, and shifted on his feet.

“I… Uh… I was afraid you wouldn’t. I got a bit nervous,” he confessed and looked around. “This is a bit… Public.”

You looked behind your back. It really was. You weren’t in the main street – where everyone always went during the visits – but it was still a bit dangerous.

“Well,” you bit your lip. “We’ll be careful.”

He nodded slowly and seemed to remember something.

“Oh, close your eyes,” he requested, and you frowned, staring at him for a moment. “Come on, don’t you trust me?”

You sighed but closed your eyes. How couldn’t you trust him? He was George.

Delicately, he placed something in your hand and closed your fingers around what you felt was a stalk.

“Open them,” he whispered.

You complied, and the first thing you saw was the rose in your hands. It was different from anything you’d expected. It was iridescent in colour and shining like tiny diamonds were covering its whole surface.

“What do you think?” he gave you a hesitant look.

“It’s beautiful,” you continued looking at it, twirling it to see how it reacted to the light. “It’s… How did you do that?”

“A special spell I may tell you about one day,” he put his hands on his pockets. “It is charmed to live forever.”

You raised your eyebrows to him.

“Forever?”

He grimaced for a second.

“Okay, not forever. But for as long as our friendship lives.”

You gave him a shy smile, feeling as something ran over you. It was a mixture of happiness and nervousness, with a calming excitement, the same thing you always feel with George but on a larger scale. It made you feel weird but you liked it a lot.

“That is beautiful, George,” you said, looking him in the eyes. “Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do,” he shrugged. “I mean, you were in the medical wing for so long and I can’t really stuff you with food and candy to make you happier the way I want to, so my second idea was a rose.”

You chuckled.

“I think I have Draco and Eleanor to do that,” you assured him. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to keep the rose.”

His shoulders relaxed and he pointed forward shyly.

“Shall we? I found some pretty place in the village that you’ll probably like. The flowers are really blooming and they look great.”

You nodded.

“Okay. Let’s go.”


	14. XIV

You twirled the rose in your hands while George animatedly told you about how he and Fred had recently come up with a new version of their Trick Wand, which now – in addition to turning into a random object when used to cast a spell – beat the user on the head and neck. You couldn’t help the big smile on your face with how passionate he sounded. Every time he mentioned an invention or how he came up with the idea with his brother, his brown eyes lit up and his whole posture changed as he was clearly much more confident and happy.

“ What about you?” he questioned.

“ Me?”

He had your hand in his for some reason, - The one that wasn’t holding the rose – and his fingertips were making little patterns on your skin while you two spoke. You weren’t even sure he knew he was doing it, but it was so natural you two didn’t even think of it.

“ You,” he nodded. “What do you want to do after school?”

You hesitated, biting your lip.

“ Well… My parents want me to work for the ministry just like dad,” you told him. “Or marry some man from a good family and be a stay home parent just like my mother.”

When you said ‘good family’, both of you knew what that referred to. Some pureblood family with money and prestige with a son to keep you as a trophy wife.

He raised his eyebrows at you, silently telling you to continue.

“ But I want to work in the business area, just like you,” you confessed. “Not inventing but behind everything.”

“ Like… With numbers?”

You nodded.

“ Does it make any sense?”

George just squeezed your hand.

“ Yeah,” he nodded and smiled when something crossed his mind. “You know what? You can work with me and Fred in our store!”

You moved your head to look at him in surprise.

“ Really?”

“ Of course!” he exclaimed. “I mean, you’re smart as...”

You glanced at him as a challenge and George slowed down his words. You hated when he cussed, and he knew that clearly.

“ Heck?”

You rolled your eyes, but he continued anyway.

“ Well, you are!” he insisted. “And I know I can trust you, and Fred will be the same when you two meet so there is no need to worry.”

You shook your head. George was uncorrectable.

“ We should head back,” he looked outside. “Everyone will be leaving soon.”

You looked down, feeling your shoulders sink.

You didn’t want to leave. Nowadays, what you liked most was spending time with George. You looked forward to when you sneaked around to see and talk to each other.

“ I guess I’ll see you around,” he stood up awkwardly. “In the library after Flickwick’s class?”

You nodded eagerly.

“ Yes, of course.”

George smiled, offering you his arm and guiding you to a street with an exit to the main street. You left before him, quickly meeting with Eleanor and wrapping your arm around hers just as Draco came to your field of vision.

“ Hey,” he stopped in front of you, looking confused. “I’ve been looking for you two the whole day, where have you been?”

You and your friends exchanged looks, and she shrugged.

“ We went around. We visited Zonko’s and some other places and...” she trailed off.

“ And some places out of the main area,” you added.

That had your brother even more confused.

“ Why would you do that?”

“ Is it against the law?” your posture changed to defensive. “We were curious. We’ve been coming here since our third year and yet we’ve only ever visited places everyone else has already visited.”

“ Yeah,” your friend insisted. “What if we’re missing something?”

He didn’t press on the subjected, but his eyes rapidly averted to where your fingers were holding your rose.

“ What about the flower?”

Both your eyes moved to the flower, and you struggled to find a reason for it.

“ A lady was giving them,” Eleanor decided. “It was the last one and she thought Y/N should have it.”

You raised the rose, bringing it closer to your vision.

“ Isn’t it beautiful?”

He inspected it with attentive eyes.

“ Yeah,” your brother finally agreed. “It’s beautiful.”

You gave him a forced smile, moving the subject away.

“ I’m tired,” you lied. “We should join the others and go.”

“ Yeah,” Eleanor quickly agreed. “Me too. We walked a lot. Are you coming with us, Draco?”

“ I’ll go check the others,” he decided. “I’ll see you in the castle.”

You and your friend walked away before he changed his mind, climbing into the closest empty carriage, and she was quick to call for your attention while you were alone.

“ Now, tell me everything,” she instructed. “And don’t forget a single detail.”


	15. XV

 

“ Try writing it down now,” you offered the dark diary to George, feeling him glaring at you with a deep frown.

“ Are you sure that’s not gonna try to suck my soul for energy?” he questioned, not even touching the object.

You rolled your eyes for what felt like the 100th time.

“ No, George. Don’t you trust me?”

In front of you, there were two diaries. The one you had offered him and a greyish one you had for yourself. For weeks you’d worked on enchanting them and these were the final products. With them, you’d be able to communicate during the holidays without people thinking something was up or being able to access the object.

He hesitated, but pulled a quill from your side and wrote a series of random names down onto the paper.

You opened your diary under his eyes, and his eyebrows shot up when he realised it had actually worked, and his words were right there.

“ See?” you smiled. “And it’s snoop proof. If someone who isn’t you tries to open it, it will lock itself up. If the person manages to break into it anyway, it will show up as empty pages. And, if they even try to go through its pages or write on it, it will disappear until you are safe and able to retrieve it.”

George was surprised but, on top of that, he was very, very impressed. Damn, he couldn’t even close his mouth, his jaw was out of his control.

“ You are a genius!” he finally managed to exclaim. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to talk to you the whole summer and you came up with that! That’s… Like… That’s brilliant.”

You felt your cheeks hot in embarrassment.

“ Now we can talk, right?” you gave him a shy look.

George’s face lit up with a huge smile.

“ We can spend the whole night talking right now!” he exclaimed. “It’s so much better than hiding the whole time!”

You mirrored his smile, but let out a long sigh.

“ We have to go,” you finally said. “It’s late and the last task is tomorrow.”

He didn’t protest and stood up.

“ Are you excited?” he leant on the table while you collected your diary and gave his to him.

“ For Summer?” you frowned.

“ No,” he shook his head. “For the last task!”

You denied quickly with a shake of your head that made your hair fall just a bit out of its restraints and adjusted the stick that kept your y/h/c strains together in a bun.

“ I’m ready for this tournament to be over,” you decided. “I keep getting a bad feeling out of it.“

This was the first time you mentioned it. There was something happening, or about to happen. You didn’t know what it was, but you didn’t want to be there to find out.

“ You worry too much,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s just a fun thing, no one is getting hurt for real, the judges are here to make sure of that.”

But you only shook your head again.

“ I’m not gonna watch it,” you decided. “Have fun with your brother there, you can tell me the details later.”

George nodded, knowing better than to protest.

“ Have a good night, then,” he rubbed his own elbow in a nervous motion. “Uh… Sleep tight.”

He wanted to hug you, but didn’t know if you two were past that barrier yet.

Not thinking, you walked to him and used the table to level yourself before planting a kiss on his cheek, giving him a small smile.

“ Good night, George.”


	16. XVI

You glanced at George from across the platform, waving very discreetly in his direction before entering the train. You hadn’t had many opportunities to be alone with him since the end of the Triwizard Tournament, and the diaries had proven to be the perfect objects for communication.

He was just as worried as you after what had happened and the heavy feeling of loss and fear was shared by every other student. Something was in the air and you weren’t the only one who felt it.

“ Can we sit together, today?” you questioned Draco in a low whisper, stopping right at the door of your brother’s cabin.

He looked at you for a moment, surprised, but barely hesitating after it.

“ Of course,” he moved, giving you space to sit beside the window.

The first thing you did after doing so was cling to him, resting your head on his shoulder. You had received a letter from your parents, something filled with vague words but with hidden meanings and threats.

There were important guests in your mansion, friends of your family who were visiting and wanted a peaceful and quiet experience. You were to be picked up by your mother at the station, and as she has woken up with a terrible mood, conversation wasn’t encouraged.

Don’t ask questions or talk to anyone about it.

“ Are you okay?” Draco whispered.

“ I’ll be fine,” you affirmed. “Don’t worry about me.”

  
  


You stepped carefully into your room, surprised with how you hadn’t seen anyone upon your arrival but still as tense as the moment you left the school.

One of the house elves was already organising your things and gave a half surprised half scared look when you snatched the scarf George had given you from his hands.

“ Be careful with this. It’s worth more than any other thing in my luggage,” you warned him.

“ Why?” you heard behind yourself and pulled your wand quickly, aiming it at whoever it was.

Runcorn.

He gave a wicked smile.

“ Miss Malfoy. Y/N,” he seemed pleased. “Nice reflexes.”

“ Thank you,” you lowered it slowly, although your heart was still racing in your chest.

He was, supposedly, your father’s friend. They worked in the ministry together and he’d had dinner with your family once or twice while you were there, and you had never felt comfortable around him. Your own mother had always kept you and and Draco away from him and people like him, like Macnair and Avery.

“ What’s so important about the scarf? Looks very ordinary to me.”

You tried to think quickly.

“ It was knitted in the Amazon forest by a single native Indian,” you lied. “The wool was also tinted in a different way, you wouldn’t understand.”

He chuckled.

“ Of course. Women and fashion, right?”

“ Yes, Mr Runcorn.”

You just waited silently for him to leave and when that didn’t happen, you shifted uncomfortably on your feet.

What was he still doing in your room?

“ Why don’t you put it on?” he stepped closer. “I’m sure it looks amazing to you.”

Your eyes widened at his motion, and both of you jumped when another voice rose up behind him.

“ Runcorn,” your father said his name slowly. “I think you knocked on the wrong door.”

The man turned around to face him, and you could see a sly smile forming on his face that overflowed with bad intentions.

“ I was just admiring your daughter’s...”

“ My daughter’s room isn’t open for guests,” he interrupted Runcorn before the man could finish his justification. “I believe I made it very clear.”

The man’s smile died and he glanced at you before nodding.

“ Of course,” he nodded and fully turned to you. “It was a pleasure, Miss Malfoy.”

You didn’t answer and your father waited until his said friend had left to direct his eyes to you, laying them on your hand. Just then you realised were still clenching your wand tightly in your fingers.

“ I assume you had a pleasant trip back?”

“ It could have been better,” you put your wand down. “I assume I’ll be encouraged to spend most of the day in external activities.”

He looked at you with some solemnity on his face.

“ You know your mother and I always encourage you to enjoy your summer.”

Your father walked to you slowly and placed a soft kiss on your forehead.

“ It’s good to have you back”

You weren’t blind or dumb.

For the last 15 years, your parents had been waiting for the moment the dark lord would rise again. They were Death Eaters – most of their friends were – and they even taught you many things you had to question when you were mature enough to understand their implications.

In response to the affection, you wrapped your arms around him in a tight embrace. You could now put your head under his, tall enough that he had to raise his chin a bit to be able to keep your embrace.

When you let go of him, your father glanced down at your face.

“ He is back, right?” you questioned. “The dark lord. That’s why everyone is here.”

He nodded.

“ Yes, Y/N,” he confirmed. “If you wish so, we can arrange a...”

“ I don’t wanna join you,” you interrupted him before he could even suggest the idea. “Thank you for the offer.”

He just gave you another nod.

“ I’ll make sure no one will come to this area of the mansion again,” he assured you.

“ Thank you, dad.”


	17. XVII

You hesitated with the quill over the diary. Maybe George was too busy with his family and didn’t have the time to talk to you. You’d been home for two weeks now, and most of your time was spent locked in your room, especially after Runcorn’s incident. Your birthday was coming, however, and you weren’t very happy with the idea of spending it like that. You wanted to be with George, and those two weeks had given you a strange sort of loneliness and need to see him.

Slowly, you lowered your quill to the paper.

“ Do you want to meet?”

You didn’t expect the answer to come in at least an hour but, to your surprise, George’s handwriting appeared right under your words.

“ Tomorrow morning?”

A smile blossomed on your face and you felt yourself relax while informing him about the location.

“ Meet me at Godric’s Hollow at 11.”

  
  


Your parents didn’t ask any questions when you announced you were out for the day, neither looked twice at you. Still, you were careful when walking in the street George had told you to meet him, fearing anyone would see you and run to your parents to tell them what you were doing.

“ Y/N!” you heard, turning around to find George and relax just as he wrapped his arms around you in a tight hug.

“ George,” you whispered, melting in his embrace.

You’d missed George. You missed talking to him and having the freedom you felt when you were around him. You could be honest and speak your mind without fear of being reprimanded or needing to be the perfect example for anyone to follow. You were just you.

“ I missed you,” he squeezed you. “I really did.”

Neither of you actually wanted to let go, but you separated eventually.

“ Sorry I didn’t contact you. With your family and stuff, I thought you’d be too busy.”

He raised his eyebrows at you in surprise.

“ Busy? I’m never busy for you!” he affirmed, almost over the top. “I thought you didn’t want to talk to me or your parents were all over you.”

You lowered your eyes, taking a breath, and he quickly raised his voice.

“ No talking about your parents,” he decided.

You nodded to him slowly, giving him a sad smile.

“ Let’s just...” you licked your lips. “Do what you planned.”

George’s face lit up quickly and he reached down to get something from his side, raising a small basket.

“ We’re having a picnic!” he said as he looked up at your with a large smile. “And guess what?”

You raised an eyebrow at him.

“ Yes?”

“ I actually helped make something in this basket.”

You looked at him in surprise but gave him a smile.

“ I’m curious now,” you decided. “And hungry. Shall we?”

He confirmed, still smiling, and offered you an arm, but you hesitated.

“ Are you sure this place is safe?” you whispered.

George’s face softened.

“ The only people we know that live here are the Abbott family and they are out for the holidays.”

He probably noticed the confusion in your eyes – you couldn’t remember anyone named Abbott – and shifted the weight on his feet.

“ Hannah Abbott? Hufflepuff?” he explained. “She’s your brother’s year.”

You just shook your head.

“ Doesn’t ring any bells to me.”

Your friend stared at your face.

“ Do you even pay attention to people around you?” he questioned with a serious face.

You shrugged.

“ Only if I have to. She isn’t relevant.”

George held his look for a moment, but then looked away.

“ Okay,” he decided slowly. “No judging. Picnic?”

You confirmed and he offered you his arm again, which you took this time.

You two had a bit of a friendship code. You and George were two different people, your houses were just the start of it. He usually displayed his feelings clearly, was impulsive and very inventive, while you were much more rational and careful, sometimes even emotionally distant so you could see everything through the correct lense; and while he always put other people before himself, you’d never risk your head for anyone unless they were actually important people, like Draco or your parents. So you came up with some rules to make things easier between the two of you, and the first was the most important: You wouldn’t judge one another, it didn’t matter how different something any of you said to the other or how odd a trait seemed.

You didn’t say anything when George guided you to the cemetery and spread the sheet so you two could sit on it comfortably, and just watched as he organised everything he’d brought for the day.

“ And which one of these did you make?”

He promptly offered you the basket, pointing inside and making you look, which only worsened your confusion.

“ There’s nothing in here George,” you looked up at him. “Just a bunch of napkins.”

He gave you a nod and a proud smile.

“ You see those napkins?” he pointed. “I folded them.”

You just stared at him for a moment before finally answering.

“ George!” you exclaimed, shaking your head and laughing. “Who cooked all that food, then?”

“ My mum, of course!” he reached for one of the said napkins he was so proud of. “She said hi.”

You froze and he turned to look at you.

“ Did you tell her about…?” you manage to ask.

“ Most of the stuff,” he affirmed, turning his body to you. “From Aleksandar to the diary. I mean, you don’t know how actually happy she was that you helped me and Fred with homework and test, cause now every single professor is talking about us like we got so much smarter overnight. She is kinda proud.”

You watched his face a bit. He actually looked quite upset.

“ You’re not dumb,” you affirmed. “Neither is Fred. You’re some of the smartest people I know.”

He just gave you a small smile.

“ Really,” you assured him. “You two create amazing things!”

He blushed up to his ears, looking away.

“ You’re just saying that because you’re our number one fan.”

“ Exactly.”

George finally looked directly at you.

“ She said you should show up on your birthday,” he offered. “If you don’t have plans with your family.”

You weren’t just surprised but completely shocked.

“ Are you serious?” you questioned.

He shrugged.

“ Of course she is. It’s your birthday, and you said your house was kinda weird lately. You deserve a break.”

You gave him a soft look and a sweet smile.

“ Thank you a lot, George,” you reached out to cover his hand with yours. “I’ll think about it.”


	18. XVIII

Darling?” your mother questioned, making you raise your head in surprise.

You were in your room, talking to George through your diary, and the pages slammed closed on their own just as she opened the door, although still outside.

“ Can I come in?”

You sat up on the bed, nodding lightly.

“ You didn’t tell me if you had fun,” she sat on the armchair just a few step from your bed.

You frowned, confused.

“ I spent the day home.”

“ Yesterday,” she corrected you. “Draco said you came home all smiley and humming songs.”

You felt your cheeks burning in embarrassment.

“ It was fun,” you said quickly. “Very… Fun.”

She glanced at you, both confused and deeply inquiring you.

“ And where did you go?”

The question didn’t scare you. You’d prepared a full story to tell anyone who asked too many questions and could even tell it starting at the end if necessary.

“ A beach,” you lied. “We had some ice cream. I think I ran into a friend of dad from the ministry but I can’t remember their name. They sent their regards, however.”

You allowed yourself to smile when her face gave away that she’d believed your words.

“ What else did you two do?”

“ We had a picnic,” you shrugged. “Nothing very elaborated, just two f-...”

“ Friends going out together, I know,” she interrupted you. “Are you sure that’s all? You don’t think it’s time to invite him to dinner? I’m sure we would all love him.”

You tried not to look too eager when shaking your head.

“ I’m not sure that’s the best idea right now,” you phrased it slowly. “He… I…” you tried to continue. “We…”

Your mother just smiled like she knew the biggest of secrets.

“ You’re not ready,” Narcissa decided. “I know. It’s a blooming relationship, you don’t want to rush it.”

Your eyes widened.

“ Relationship?!” you exclaimed. “Oh no, no, no! we’re not together, mum. We are definitely not together!”

She just stared at you.

“ Y/N, I gave birth to you. I’ve known you for your whole life. You can’t lie to me.”

Oh, mother, you’d be surprised.

“ We are not together,” you repeated, emphatic.

Your mother moved from her place on the armchair and sat on the bed, moving her hands to your hair and playing with your locks with her long and elegant fingers.

“ You have a sparkle in your eye when you talk about him,” she lowered her voice. “Honey… You may not be together, but you certainly do feel something for him.”

You didn’t answer, just looking away, and she reached out to hold your hand.

“ You may not be together, but that doesn’t mean you don’t feel anything about him.”

You didn’t give her an answer as she moved her hand to your back, rubbing it softly.

“ He...” you started but cleared your throat. “He asked me out again. For my birthday. He said we could visit a bit of the town with the beach and maybe have dinner in his house.”

She looked at you with a mixture of surprise and excitement.

“ Do you want to spend your birthday with him?”

You hesitated. It’s not that you didn’t want to be with your family, but you were feeling suffocated where you were right now.

“ I…” you hesitated. “I actually do. Maybe the weekend.”

She didn’t say anything, holding her silence.

“ We’re gonna need to find something to tell your father if you don’t want him asking questioned about that boy’s family and name.”

You nodded slowly. You’d had that conversation with her before, absolutely refusing to give any information about George except that he was from Beauxbatons – which was a big fat lie – and lived close to Paris.

“ Are you sure you don’t mind if I spend the weekend away?” you questioned;

Your mother hesitated but took a long breath.

“ The further away from home I can get you now, the better,” she decided, whispering her words as if the walls had ears – and they had. “Your brother is still a kid, but not you.”

You took a deep breath. You knew what she meant. You could see how they looked at you whenever any of them caught a glimpse of you in the house. It was as if they knew you wouldn’t take much longer to give in and join them.

“ I’m gonna talk to him,” you muttered.


	19. XIX

George was starting to rethink everything. The whole family would be moving to Grimmauld Place 12 in a week, and while he trusted you, no one else was keen to showing you the hiding place of the Order of the Phoenix, especially with your family’s history.

While Fred and his parents had agreed they had no problem with you showing up, Ron and Ginny still didn’t know you were coming to the house, and there was a big chance of resistance from them. All they knew about you was that you were the girl he’d been hanging out with since the Yule Ball.

“ When is she arriving, George?” Molly questioned.

He was nervous, very nervous actually, and the way he was pacing around left it clear.

His siblings were out around the house doing whatever was in their minds, except for Fred. His twin was right by his side, waiting silently.

“ She was supposed to be here already” he muttered, staring at the fireplace. “Are we sure the floo is still working?”

“ Yes, sweetie,” she said dismissively. “I”m sure your friend will be here before dinner, don’t worry about it.”

As if it was easy…

What if you’d given up? Or maybe your parents were all over you and had decided they wanted you to spend your birthday with them? What if you-know-who had gotten you?!

Merlin, he couldn’t even list how many bad things could be going on right now.

“ Hey, George,” he heard a shout from upstairs. “I think there’s a girl in a broomstick about to land outside.”

The boy didn’t even think about who had said that; he just ran to the front porch and had the largest of the smiles when he recognised you. Fred was the one closest when you landed, giving you a pat on the back, but as soon as his brother was out of the way George was wrapping his arms around your waist and lifting you in an embrace that was so tight and warm that it destroyed any armour you’d put up on your way to meet his family.

“ Y/N/N,” he sighed against the crook of your neck.

There was a list of things you should have cared about after your feet hit the floor: Your luggage, how your hair looked like you’d been in a battle, where you’d put your broomstick… But none of those even crossed your mind. Everything you could see, hear, smell and feel were George, and you weren’t close to letting him go.

“ George,” you muttered.

“ I missed you,” he squeezed you a bit harder. “I know it’s been just two weeks but...”

“ It’s okay,” you interrupted him, kissing his cheek and moving your hands to caress the back of his neck. “I’ve missed you too.”

Molly watched the three of you from the door frame and turned her head to look at Ron and Ginny when they stepped behind her.

“ Wow,” the girl exclaimed when she saw the two still hugging. “I guess he really likes her.”

“ Let the girl go, George,” his mother finally interrupted the two. “She just landed from a long flight, she must be thirsty.”

He complied hesitantly, letting you down and blushing when his eyes caught Fred’s knowing smirk.

“ Don’t say anything,” he hissed at his twin, although he knew it would hardly make any difference.

Just a few steps away, Ron and Ginny tried to catch a glimpse of you, still only seeing some hair with the twins shielding you from their vision.

“ Nice to meet you, darling,” the woman walked to you. “I’m Molly Weasley.”

You offered her a hand for a handshake, which she took with a strange look.

“ Thank you for inviting me, Mrs Weasley,” you said politely. “George speaks greatly about you.”

The redhead woman eyed her son, surprised.

“ Well,” she finally smiled. “He never shuts up about you, that’s a fact. Come on in, let me get you something to drink. Boys, get her things.”

Before Fred could reach out, George grabbed the small suitcase you’d let fall and the Firebolt you’d riden there.

Finally, the two other siblings could see your face, and their eyes widened.

“ Malfoy?!” Ron exclaimed. “What in bloody hell are you doing in here?”


	20. XX

The moment you closed the bathroom door, you could hear the shouting in what you assumed was the dining room. Ronald seemed very, very, upset, and didn’t shy away from showing and yelling it out to his siblings and mother. Even with his voice muffled, you could very clearly hear offensive things towards yourself, Draco, and your whole family.

You sighed. You knew it was bound to be a long weekend and, hopefully, the boy would be yelling less for the following days.

Later that night, dinner time was the worst staring battle you had ever seen. The two youngest Weasleys had started a silent war against the twins and their own mother – and you, of course - , as their father was still at work.

Molly gave you the room in front of the twins’ bedroom, and the moment you two were left alone by Fred, you and George sat down on the floor between the two doors. You talked and talked until both of you were too tired and fell asleep together - and that’s how Molly had found you.

The Weasley mother wasn’t 100% pleased with a Malfoy in her house. Not even 50%. Not even 10% if she was honest. Yet, the only time she’d seen George so happy when talking about something the way he did about you was with his inventions. He got the very same look in his brown eyes when talking about you. She already knew he loved you already, but after seeing you with him she was sure you felt the exact same for him - even if you two were still kinda hiding it. Seeing you melting in her son’s arms, and knowing from George how you were dealing with some heavy family tension had caused her to feel a bit of pity for you in her heart.

“ Come on, darling,” she helped you up after pushing her son inside his own room and held you softly as you blindly entered the other bedroom. “It’s bedtime.”

“ Good night,” you muttered as your face pressed against the pillow, and Molly wondered if you were awake enough to know she wasn’t your mother and you weren't home.

“ Good night, Y/N.”

  
  


“ It’s not that bad,” you faced forward, twirling a flower around your fingers. “It’s just some couple of weeks until we can go back to Hogwarts.”

You two were sat on the warm grass in the garden behind the house.

It was officially your birthday now and the two of you had excused yourselves like you had done the previous day. You were talking about your home once again, and how you couldn’t feel comfortable with all the visitors while trying to be as vague as possible.

“ It will be a lot of days, though,” he muttered. “Sorry you can’t come to the new house, It’s a huge mess and mum gets paranoid.”

You gave him a small smile. He was lying – exactly like you – but you couldn’t even bring yourself into feeling upset. George had his own secrets to keep and you certainly didn’t know even half of them.

“ It’s okay,” you reached out, touching his hand and he tangled his fingers on yours.

In a hesitant but instant moment, George pulled you closer and let you rest your head on his shoulder.

“ We can go out every day,” he suggested. “The cemetery in Godric's Hollow is always empty.”

You chuckled.

“ We’re so classy… Meeting in cemeteries to keep our friendship in secret. I’m sure we’re the firsts in the world.”

You fell into silence, though, at the same time he'd started making little circles with his thumb on the back of your hand.

When you raised your head to look at him, George’s face was right there, a single breath away from yours.

You simply loved his eyes. They were deep and sweet in a colour that reminded you of chocolate sprinkled with caramel and gold, shining everytime the sun hit them.

Without you realising, George moved his hand to you hair and put a blonde lock behind your ear.

“ George...” you let out a whisper.

“ Y/N/N...” he shifted, moving ever closer to you.

Kiss me, you wanted to say. Oh, please, kiss me.

His nose brushed against yours hesitantly, and you closed your eyes. Your lips had only brushed together when the two of you heard a voice behind you and pulled away.

“ George, your mother...” the person stopped in the middle of their sentence. You could see George’s whole face and neck reddening as he quickly stood up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“ It’s okay,” he cleaned his pants from the dirt for a moment. “I’ll go see her now.”

You turned to where he’d left, feeling your cheeks and face burning in embarrassment. Standing there you was none other than Hermione Granger with a very surprised face.

“ Malfoy?!”

You stared at the young witch for a moment, still a bit shocked from her abrupt interruption, but stood up.

“ Granger, I would be happy if you kept whatever you saw to yourself.”

The girl stared at you for a long moment, but swallowed down and nodded.

“ Yes. Of course.”


	21. XXI

You straightened up the fabric of your dress. Although simple, you knew this was quite a piece and hesitated leaving the room wearing it. You knew there was a sort of special dinner being set up but you couldn’t help feeling a bit overdressed.

“ Come on, Y/N,” you heard Fred’s voice outside the door. “Dinner is almost ready.”

You stood up.

“ Coming.”

Downstairs, George was walking around on nervous legs. He’d upgraded his clothes a notch too and was excited to try and impress you.

He was also nervous beyond measure. Earlier that day he’d almost kissed you, and he was now overthinking it. What if it was uncalled for? Or you were now uncomfortable and didn’t want to be around him any more? He liked you – he really, really liked you – and he had to accept that he saw you as more than a friend since the almost kiss, but now he was worried he had stretched you beyond your limits.

“ Hey,” Bill stopped by his side. “Looking nervous.”

“ She’s taking a lot of time there,” he scratched his elbow nervously.

“ You ain’t seen nothing yet,” his older brother chuckled. “Just wait for the day you’ll be waiting for her to get ready for a date. You better get used to this if you want to keep her as a girlfriend.”

“ She’s not...” he started, but Bill interrupted him.

“ But you wish she was. Don’t lie.”

George fell back into silence. He wasn’t wrong.

“ Mum said she looks at you the same way,” he assured him. ‘Just go for it.”

The young brother frowned.

“ You don’t mind her being… You know… A Malfoy?”

Bill hesitated but shrugged.

“ Look… As long as she’s not a death eater… I know Ron is a bit upset but it’s most likely because of her brother. And because a pretty girl is into you now, of course.”

George couldn’t help the lopsided smile.

“ Really?”

“ Really,” Bill gave him a pat on the back. “Relax. You’ll be fine.”

He heard a step on the stairs and turned to see you coming down and smiled in relief, not even seeing his brother walk away.

“ Am I late?” you questioned, visibly nervous.

“ You’re the birthday girl,” your friend chuckled. “We all showed up too early.”

You just shook your head, and George took the sight of you with a full smile and red on his cheeks.

“ You look…” he tried to find words. “Very beautiful.”

And you were. Your dress was the same colour as the one you’d worn to the Yule Ball, although much simpler and shorter.

“ Thank you.”

“ I’m sorry about the whole thing with Ron.”

You just gave him a smile and a wave of your hand.

“ I don’t care about what he thinks, George. As long as he doesn’t go out spreading that I am here, I don’t care. I’m here because of you.”

The redhead boy gave you a look full of surprise and wonder and something warm and bubbly, and he was ready to say something when you heard Molly’s voice.

“ Dinner is ready, kids.”

You all walked into the dining room and sat at the table, and you could feel Granger’s eyes digging into you before even looking at her, and the girl blushed when your eyes met.

“ So...” Bill cleared his throat, “Y/N. How did you and George become friends? No offence but you’re an odd pair.”

You hesitated, feeling every single pair of eyes on you.

“ He saved me,” you finally said. “I was attacked at the Yule Ball and George jumped in without even hesitating. And then we started being around each other and… I guess we’re more similar than different.”

“ Really?” someone asked, completely surprised, and you moved your eyes to the head of the table to find Mr Weasley with his eyes wide.

“ She likes my jokes and inventions,” George said with a proud smile. “And we like the same places.”

You felt your cheeks warm at how sweet he spoke of you, and the boy by your side continued.

“ She liked libraries and I found out they are actually not that bad.”

Except for Fred, everybody froze and you heard as some forks and knives were dropped.

“ What?!” Ronald almost yelled.

“ I got the same reaction when I heard that one,” Fred continued to eat as the others just stared at the two of you, which prompted his twin to look around the table.

“ What?” he rolled his eyes.

“ Nothing,” Bill went back to his plate. “No problem.”

No conversation was held after that and when everyone finished everything, some of the brothers were left to help their mother, which included both the twins.

Someone put music on and you stood a bit far from the rest of the group and were caught by surprise when Ginny walked to you.

“ What do you see in him?” she questioned bluntly.

“ Beg your pardon?”

“ In George. He literally spoke about you like a boy in love there on the table. You certainly have something you like in him to be here now.

You hesitated. You didn’t like talking about feelings.

George was probably the first person your life you never had to impress or wear a mask in front of. You felt free with him along with something you didn’t really know what to call. It made your heart race and you crave his presence more and more.

“ He’s George,” you decided. “What else there’s more to say?”

She stared at you in silence, half surprised and a half trying to find words.

“ What’s up?” your friend questioned, standing by your side quickly.

“ Just talking with Y/N,” she eyed you from head to toe. “I’ll leave now.”

You two watched her walk away and turned to you with a frown on his brows.

“ Did I miss something?”

You shrugged. It was weird, indeed.

“ Here,” he offered you a cup and you glanced at the liquid for a moment. “Wanna get out of here for a bit?”

You glanced at the garden for a moment and confirmed.

“ Please. What’s in this?”

“ Mum made some fruit juice. You allergic to anything?”

You shook your head and the tension left his shoulders.

“ Nothing that will be actually put in a juice,” you assured him. “Is everything okay?”

George looked nervous, and the way he was literally using the cup of juice to buy time for his answer was one big sign of it.

“ Yeah,” he decided. “Did you like the dinner?”

You nodded.

“ I did. I want to thank you, actually.”

His eyebrows rose up for a moment, and you looked into his eyes.

“ You moved all of your family just so I wouldn’t spend the weekend alone. It was very sweet of you.”

George shrugged with a smile.

“ It’s okay. It was no big deal.”

You were ready to say something back – It was obviously a big deal – but George didn’t let you just as his face lit up.

“ Okay, close your eyes. I have a thing for you.”

This time, you complied with no questioning, and George placed something very familiar in your hand.

When you opened your eyes, they fell on the rose he’d placed on your palm, identical to the one he’d give you not even 3 months earlier.

“ Happy birthday.”

A large smile graced your face.

“ Oh, George...”

“ I have a real gift too,” he added quickly, pulling a small package from his pocket and offering it to you. “Here. Open it.”

When you ripped the paper and pulled the black string, your eyes widened. A rose quartz necklace.

“ George!” you exclaimed his name once again. “You shouldn’t have bought this. Don’t waste your money on me!”

“ It wasn’t expensive, I promise!” he defended himself. “I found the quartz and I know someone  so I only paid for the cord. Don’t you like it?”

You shifted on your feet, bashful and smiling.

“ I do. It’s beautiful. But don’t do that again,” you insisted. “I don’t care about gifts. Having you around is enough.”

George’s heart swelled inside his chest and he tried to hide his blushing cheeks as he quickly offered to help you put it on. Once he did and you turned around, you were still eyeing the pink stone. 

He bit his lip, you looked more peaceful and happy than he’d ever seen you. You’d cracked more smiles with him this weekend than in half a month in Hogwarts, and he almost couldn’t bear the fact that you would leave in just two mornings.

“ It looks great on you,” he whispered. “Everything looks great on you.”

You looked up at him, feeling your cheeks hot, and George could see your pupils were blown wide.

“ You know that’s not true,” you chuckled.

Dang, when did you get so close to him?

“ You know I do,” he smiled. “I saw you sick. You know how you get with a fever? Your eyes look very red and your hair was all messy, and your face...”

“ Shut up,” you hit his chest, resting your hand there. “I get it. I looked awful!”

“ No,” he shook his head. “You looked great. You looked adorable. You looked...” his voice fell into a whisper. “You looked...”

You licked your lips, moving your eyes between his mouth and his own eyes while trying to process if you were understanding his clues or not. Did George really want to kiss you or were you just going crazy?

His hands touched your jaw slowly and softly.

“ You...” his thumb met your lower lip and you could feel his skin was slightly cold.

You closed your eyes just as he wrapped his arms and hands around your waist, bringing your own face to his, and it finally – finally happened.

You didn’t know which of you was the one who moved to end the last centimetre that stopped it from happening, but you did it.

You finally kissed.

 


	22. XXII

Fred stood on his tiptoes to watch you and George kissing. The other Weasley kids quickly stopped to check what he was watching and when they realised what was going on they gasped, prompting him to shush them. Nonetheless, everyone just joined him watching.

“ Good for him,” Bill walked out of the small crowd. “Come on, let’s give him privacy.”

“ Privacy?” Ron exclaimed. “He’s kissing Malfoy!”

“ And you won’t stop whining about it,” Fred hissed. “George has a girlfriend and you don’t like her brother. Just shut your mouth and get over it. Dad isn’t a fan of her father but you don’t see him saying it all the time!”

Everyone stared at the two brothers, surprised, which gave the couple actual privacy for a few seconds.

Too early for your liking, George pulled away, rubbing his nose against yours and making you smile softly.

He cleared his throat and you opened your eyes, giggling softly when you saw his goofy smile.

“ Gosh, that was...”

“ Great,” he chuckled. “Really great. I mean, to me it was great. I don’t know if it was for you but...”

“ It was great, George,” you interrupted him, caressing his cheeks with your thumbs. “ _ Really great _ .”

He smiled openly, blushing.

“ Oh man, we should have done that before,” he laughed. “Can we do that again? Regularly?”

You raised your eyebrows at him in surprise.

“ You  _ want  _ to make things regular?”

He nodded fiercely.

“ Well… I wouldn’t kiss you if I didn’t want you as my girlfriend, right?”

You opened and closed your mouth, too surprised to say anything for a moment.

“ Yes!” you shouted, finally. “Yes. Of course. Yes.”

“ Yes,” George, nodded. “Okay. I’m your boyfriend now.”

You smiled just as he seemed to process the news.

“ You’re my boyfriend now.”

George stared at you and chuckled openly.

“ Oh my… That makes you my girlfriend! You’re my girlfriend!”

You laughed, holding his hands in front of the two of you.

“ I’m your girlfriend, George.”

He turned to the door, seeing everyone watching the two of you, and your cheeks heated up when you realised what they were doing.

“ Guys, she’s my girlfriend!” he shouted. “Fred, do you hear that? I got a girlfriend before you. I got a girlfriend before everyone in this family! I got a girlfriend before Bill!”

You squeezed his hand to bring your now  _ boyfriend  _ and his attention back to you.

“ Okay, George. We all got it. You can calm down now.”

He blushed deeply, pulling you once again to give your lips closed pecks.

“ I’m just excited,” he scratched the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. It’s just… You’re my girlfriend. I’m so happy.”

You only smiled at him.

“ I know,” you rested your hands on his chest. “But… Calm down. Please.”

You two walked inside with him holding your hand when you noticed Ginny staring at her brother with a smirk.

“ What?” he looked at her.

“ You didn’t beat Percy.”

George’s face changed to surprise and then grumpiness.

“ Oh, man…  _ Almost  _ there!”

“ George,” you turned to him. “Don’t be so competitive.”

He chuckled, pulling you with him so you’d follow his lead.

“ Come here,” he whispered.

George kissed you once again, ignoring when his younger brother made gagging sounds.

“ Stop kissing the poor girl so much, George,” Bill laughed. “Her lips are gonna fall right off this way.”

Everyone laughed and you felt your cheeks burning up just as your boyfriend blushed down to his neck.

“ Shut up,” he muttered, moving his face away from yours, still holding your hand while he sat down and pulled you with him like before. “You want anything?”

You were about to answer him when Molly showed up with biscuits on a plate.

“ Here, dear,” she almost shoved them in your face. “Take on. It’s chocolate chip.”

You gave her an awkward smile.

“ Thank you, ma’am,” you said as you picked one up.

You resituated a bit – trying to sit like the proper lady you were supposed to be – but George’s hand squeezing yours made your focus change to him.

“ We won’t judge you for resting your back on the couch,” he whispered with a smile. “I promise.”

You felt your cheeks warming up again and George chuckled, pulling you in and giving your lips another peck.

_ Well, he certainly liked to kiss you. _

“ Go on,” he released your hand and put his arm behind your shoulder. “I’m all yours, and I promise I won’t bite.”

You rolled your eyes and looked around hesitantly, but no one seemed to be watching you.

“ Okay,” you sighed.  _ “Fine.” _

You shifted in your seat until you found a way to lean down, and rested part of your body comfortably against George’s.

Merlin, that was  _ weird _ .

“ See?” he smiled, smugly. “All good.”


	23. XXIII

“ But I want you to stay with us,” George insisted, holding your hand outside the house. “Can’t you just stay? Maybe lie or something?”

“ I really need to go,” you reminded him. “And you’re moving into another place, George, I don’t want to be another addition to that mess.”

Your boyfriend just continued to look at you with dramatic sadness.

“ Come on, George, it won’t be long. School is back in September. You survived so far, you can survive a few more weeks.”

“ You weren’t my girlfriend back then,” he tried to sound sad, but just came out as overly dramatic and  _ whiny _ . “And we won’t even be able to stay around each other that often, we’ll be hiding from people all the time.”

“ Don’t be a cry baby, Greg,” his twin gave his back a soft pat. “We don’t want the whole Malfoy family looking from her in here. Y/N has to go.”

Your boyfriend nodded, sighing with his shoulders completely sagged. You’d already said your — very awkward — goodbyes to everyone inside and he was the only one left.

“ Bye, then,” he smiled sadly, hugging you once again and kissing your lips softly. “Let me know when you’re home.”

“ Okay,” you reached for your broom. “Goodbye.”

He watched silently as you assembled your things, magically putting everything inside an expanded purse that crossed your body and rested just on your front, and took off. The redhead boy just stood there until you were out of his reach, just then turning to find your family waiting by the door.

“ What?” he blushed.

“ You’re in love,” Ginny said slowly. “With Malfoy.”

He rolled his eyes.

“ I thought you were over that already.”

His sister shrugged.

“ It’s been just a day. And it’s weird,” she pointed. “Don’t blame me for reacting like a normal human being.”

He just ignored her but stopped when the next words reached him.

“ She seems to like you,” Ginny said. “And a lot.”

George was a bit surprised but didn’t let it on, only smirking and shrugging.

“ I know, right?”

* * *

 

You had been attentive to plan your trip back home up to its smallest details, which included stopping to buy a set of bracelet and earrings to pass off as a birthday present from George and his family, and landed on your yard as silently as you could.

With a flight shorter than you’d actually informed your mother, you’d left the Burrow much later than you said you would and take a route that assured you’d land from the correct direction.

You had time to put your broom with the others before your eyes fell on your mother and she came to hug you quickly.

“ Y/N!” she sighed as soon as her arms were around you “I’ve missed you so much.”

“ It was just three days, mum,” you squeezed her tightly.

“ I’ll have a bath and a meal prepared for you,” she held your hand and glanced at your side just as the house elf took your purse. “And you’ll tell me everything.”

Forty-five minutes later you were sitting on your bed with your mother folding your clean clothes to put them back into place.

“ They have a little house in the South of France,” you lied. “I got to share a room with his sister.”

“ Does he have a big family?” she enquired, turning for a moment.

“ Two brothers and a sister, he is the second born.”

She hummed a confirmation.

“ They didn’t have a guest room?”

“ Not there,” you looked in the window’s direction. “But it’s okay. It was like being with Eleanor.”

That seemed to sparkle something in her mind.

“Can’t forget to invite Eleanor for your birthday dinner,” she pointed, more to herself than to you.

“ Dinner?”

Your mother turned to you after your words, looking rather surprised and annoyed with your tone.

“ We are a family. It doesn’t matter if you spent your actual birthday away, we will celebrate it together.”

You didn’t protest, and she stopped her activity when her eyes fell on the bracelet and earrings you’d bought.

“ I haven’t seen those yet,” she noticed, bringing the velvet box where they came in together closer to her eyes. “They are beautiful.”

She touched the pieces carefully.

“ Did he give you this?” she questioned but didn’t even left time for you to answer. “You’ve always looked amazing with sapphires.”

“ I know,” you resisted the urge to touch George’s actual present for you hiding inside your clothes.

She took the earrings from the box and put your hair behind your ears before putting them on them, distancing herself to see how you looked.

“ Beautiful.”

You only smiled, and she put the pieces where you stored the rest of your jewellery, returning to your clothes.

“ Go on, dear. Tell me more. Did his mother like you?”

You hesitated, not even knowing the genuine answer to the question.

“ I’m still unsure,” you decided. “She was very lovely but I had a feeling I was being studied.”

She chuckled.

“ Well, that doesn’t surprise me,” she held up a smile. “She’ll certainly love you soon enough,” your mother assured you. “You’re a good girl from a good family and with lots of talents. You’re nearly perfect, sweetie.”

You gave her a smile.

“ You’re saying that only because you’re my mother.”

“ I’m saying that because I know how this boy likes you,” Narcissa corrected you. “Don’t worry about it, darling.”


	24. XXIV

You adjusted your dress, running a hand slowly right where it tightened on the middle of your waist and flowed down elegantly. It was a black model in velvet with dark grey lace, and your wrists and ears were decorated with the sapphires your mother had loved so much.

You fixed your hair carefully and put on the high heels that made you as tall as Draco.

Your house had been emptied from the previous guests and only a few people were there; just your family, Draco’s two friends – Crabbe and Goyle -, just a few of the closest Slytherins from school, like Nott and his family and others, Eleanor and her family, and some cousins you two shared. Your grandmother Druella was the oldest sister of Eleanor’s grandfather, so your friendship ran deeper than any other. You could only be carrying the Black and Malfoy names, but you were a Rosier just like her nonetheless.

“ Y/N!” your best friend walked to you as soon as you entered the room. “You look so gorgeous. Are those the sapphires you mentioned in our last letter?”

“ Yes,” you looked around. “I take it you like them?”

She gave you a knowing smile.

“ I do, indeed. Your  _ friend  _ has a great taste, but yours is much better, obviously.”

You let out a laugh, feeling the tension leaving you. It was good to see Eleanor.

“ Come on. You need to see my gift.”

She pulled you to the corner of the room, where the presents were piled up, and took hers right from the top.

“ Open it,” she pointed. “Go on.”

You glanced at her, but complied anyway, finding a perfume bottle and a velvet box that clearly held a necklace.

“ I remember you said you wanted this perfume but couldn’t find it anywhere,” she pointed. “So I may have taken a trip to find it for you.”

Your eyes widened and you turned to her with a shocked expression.

“ Please, tell me you didn’t travel all the way to Germany for a bottle of perfume,” you said in a disapproving tone. “Eleanor, I could have had it shipped from a store.”

She shrugged.

“ I needed to make sure it would arrive safely. And I found the necklace there just as well and bought some shoes, look,” she pointed down and you glanced at her feet. “Pretty and comfortable.”

You shook your head, but reached out for the jewelery box, finding a ruby necklace. It was no surprise. Your family always gave you the most extravagant gifts. When you were born, your Aunt Bellatrix had given your parents your weight in galleons for ‘good luck’, and did the same with Draco. On your first birthday, she’d given you diamond earrings you still had up to this day – they were quite heavy for a child but fit perfectly now.

“ Thank you,” you reached out and holding her hand. “Thank you. You shouldn’t have, but thank you.”

Eleanor rolled her eyes, waving dismissively with her hand before picking a glass up of wine from a tray a house elf was carrying, and you took the liberty to do the same.

You two were just  _ now  _ legally allowed to drink, but it didn’t mean you’d never done so before; that happened since you were 15 at your house parties.

You were looking a bit forward to this party. You hoped you could have fun and enjoy it like you did every time, but something was clearly missing. Even dinner didn’t taste as good, and your mother had had your favourite dishes prepared.

When it was over and music filled the room, you couldn’t help but space out while Eleanor talked about what seemed to be some guy she met in her trip to a fully wizard town close to Berlin.

“ Y/N?” someone waved a hand in front of you.

“ Yes?” you turned, finding Draco and Eleanor staring at your face.

“ And she is not dead,” you brother chuckled. “I was asking you if you wanted to dance.”

You turned to glance at the room, quickly noticing how some people had engaged in a dance, which included your parents and the Rosier themselves.

You couldn’t say no, and was soon holding your brother’s hand and twirling around the room among the rest of the people, with him smiling at you sweetly. You felt your heart aching slightly. You absolutely hated lying to Draco, but it was needed. He would understand one day.

Your parents, however…

You hoped they understood. You really hoped they did.


	25. XXV

“ And you must be Y/N,” you heard an overly sweet and thin voice just a few steps from you, and quickly raised your head from the potions book in your hands.

You and Draco were just a few days away from starting school and everything was ready for when you did so, from your robes to anything else you’d need for the rest of the year.

Standing by the door, a short woman dressed completely in pink stared you, looking far too interested and smiling  _ too much _ for your own comfort.

“ Yes?”

You stood up as soon as your father entered after her, and she walked in your direction.

“ Y/N, this is Dolores Umbridge,” he introduced you two. “She works in the ministry and is working at Hogwarts as Inquisitor for the next year.”

You rose your eyebrows at them, a bit confused.

“ Oh?”

“ The ministry is very concerned with the direction the headmaster is taking Hogwarts to, you certainly understand, Y/N. He has been spreading terrible lies around and that is scaring some people. We are afraid that those lies can be extended to the students and he may cause some unwanted phenomenon.”

You nodded slowly.

“ I see your point, ma’am.”

With Cedric Diggory’s death, Harry Potter had swore his life to the fact that You-Know-Who was back – something that Dumbledore had backed with no doubt, but no one else did, and the two had been discredited in every single possible way by the Ministry of Magic and the media. Honestly, if you didn’t know the truth from your parents’ themselves, you’d disbelieve them just as well seeing how much proof had been fabricated to show they were wrong.

“ I’ve heard great things about you, Y/N,” she said in an overly sweet way, and you couldn’t help but feel uneasy at how she pronounced your name. “It will be a great pleasure to have such an intelligent and beautiful young lady like you there for when I need a reminder of what I’m there to do.”

You forced a fake smile, crossing your hands a bit in front of your body, trying to put some distance between the two of you.

“ I’m sure it will be a pleasure, ma’am,” you affirmed. “I’m looking forward to it.”

She nodded to you and an elf entered before the conversation could become even more awkward.

“ Sir, ladies,” she said submissively. “The tea is served.”

. . .

You fidgeted with your skirt while listening to Umbridge’s words, unable to tear your eyes from her figure.

You had told George about your encounter and – as far as you knew - he had already passed the news to his friends before the woman showed up, and Granger was rightfully worried.

With Umbridge in a position of such power in Hogwarts, things were about to get very complicated.

Your parents  _ disliked _ muggles and muggleborns, Umbridge didn’t just hate or despise them, she preached their death!

According to sidetalk you heard, she was single because no one could take being beside her for more than a few hours; as everything about her was utterly annoying from her voice to her personality.

“ You’re not gonna eat?” Eleanor questioned, and you shook your head to try and clean your mind when you realised you were still staring.

“ Yeah,” you moved your hand to grab a fork, glancing back at the new member sitting with the teachers for a moment before moving to serve yourself.

“ Is everything okay?” Sarah – a girl from your year – questioned. “You’ve been weird since you arrived.”

You turned to her for a moment, a bit confused, but soon found an answer in your head.

“ I’m tired,” you decided to lie. “I didn’t sleep well this week.”

“ She has a French boyfriend now,” your cousin jumped onto the conversation. “And now that she is here, they won’t be able to see one another until Christmas.”

“ Eleanor!” you reprehended her.

“ What?” your friend frowned. “It’s the truth.”

“ She spent her birthday with him and his family,” Draco said nonchalantly, turning to you. “And came back home and happy.”

You raised your eyebrows at him. You didn’t even know he knew about the boy story, you’d only told it to your mother and to Eleanor.

“ His mother invited me,” you affirmed before anyone could make assumption. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Your brother turned to you.

“ Not that big of a deal? Mum was looking into wedding dresses for you and places you could get married in, and whether or not they’ll be free in three years.”

You stared at him with your eyes wide and lips slightly gaped.

“ Wait, what?”

What in Merlin’s sagging balls actual was he talking about?

“ Well, if you’re officially together now and he takes around 12 to 18 months to propose, then she’ll only have 12 to 18 months to plan your wedding,” Eleanor agreed. “You need to have the place booked for at least two years. She’s just being logical.”

You tilted your head to the side, still unable to fully process their words. Finally, you shook your head.

“ You’re insane,” you decided. “And I don’t know if I’m gonna spend Christmas with his family. He didn’t invite me.”

“ He will,” your best friend cut a piece of pie. “Trust me. He definitely will.”


	26. XXVI

“ Outstanding in every single test,” George said proudly, taking a glance at your potion’s book in the end of the library. “You’re a genius. You’re like… Hermione, but cooler.”

You shook your head.

“ I’m a Malfoy,” you said slowly. “I couldn’t have it any differently.”

Your boyfriend turned to you with a frown.

“ What? Really? Like… Really,  _ really _ ?!”

“ My dad would kill me if I got an ‘ _ Exceeds Expectations’,”  _ you pointed. “I can’t even think of it.”

George just watched you for a short moment.

“ I don’t know why I’m surprised,” he confessed. “Your father is…” he cleared his throat awkwardly for a moment.

“ Very exigent, yes,” you noted.

“ That’s one way to put it.”

You rolled your eyes, turning the page. Professor Snape was also very exigent with his students and you had a class with him in less than half an hour, which was the reason you were giving the first chapters a quick reread to be prepared.

“ You know, me and Fred should have earned ‘E’s’ in all of our O.W.L.’s. Us showing up already exceeded the expectations.”

You giggled.

“ I haven’t had the time to mention,” you rested your elbow on the table before reaching with one of your hands to mess with his red locks. “I’ve noticed that you changed your hair.”

He gave you a smile that was half sad and disappointed and half mischievous.

“ Well, mum was about to shoot me with an unforgiving curse if I didn’t get it cut,” he joked. “It’s a bit of a change. It’s not like I was trying to grow it out or something.”

You watched his face silently, and rubbed his cheek with your thumb.

“ You didn’t want a haircut, did you?”

He looked around a bit, shrugging but looking rather annoyed anyway.

“ Not really.”

“ I’m sorry.”

He shrugged again and you went back to your book. You’d already read the book when you were home, you could just close it and spend the time with George.

“ Are you done?” your boyfriend questioned, almost as if he’d just read your mind.

“ Yeah,” you closed the book in front of you. “I’m done.”

He watched you silently, looking like he was thinking if he could or not say something.

“ Yes, we can kiss if you wanted to,” you encouraged as  you smiled at him.

George relaxed visibly.

“ Okay,” he chuckled. “I was a bit afraid. I mean, it’s… We’re dating and all, but I don’t know if we can do stuff or the stuff we can do. I never had a girlfriend before.”

You just smiled at your boyfriend and leaned in, laying a peck on his lips.

“ Just ask,” you whispered. “Really.”

He gave you a large smile and pulled you up, making you drop your your books onto the table before pulling you into the one of the darkest sections.

“ George!” you let out a whisper. “Where are we going?”

He didn’t answer, but before you could ask again, George walked you to a wall, making you shiver all over.

“ Oh,” you gasped.

He gave you a bit of a hopeful look, and you felt your cheeks flushing.

“ Can I…” he whispered. “Uh… You know?”

You nodded gently, and your boyfriend cupped your jaw before kissing your lips. Soon, the peck became a full tongue kiss, and George’s body quickly came to press against yours, which made you lose your breath just a tiny bit. How come you just realised how the six years of Quidditch had shaped his body? You could feel the way his arms and torso were actually more defined than what you first assumed, which was a bit surprising.

You had completely melted into his kiss when a noise brought you back to reality.

“ George,” Fred called from somewhere far from you, and your boyfriend jumped away from you with wide eyes. “George?”

You walked away from him, fixing yourself and getting right back to where you’d kept your books.

“ Sup, Y/N/N,” the redhead smiled to you. “Where is my brother?”

“ Which one? You have five.”

He chuckled, raising his eyebrows in a bit of surprise.

“ Well, he is…” you looked around. “Over there. I gotta go to class before people notice I’m gone.”

“ Okay,” he nodded. “Bye.”

He watched as you almost ran out of the library, and stopped to look at where his brother had just emerged with his face completely red and his hair a bit messy.

“ You’re blushing, she’s flushed…” Fred noticed, looking at George’s face for a moment. “Did I interrupt something?”

His twin’s ears reddened to match his face.

“ I’ll tell you later.”


	27. XXVII

“ A return to basic principles,” you read on the board.

Umbridge’s approach to Defense Against the Dark Arts was a _‘return to basic principles’._ A bloody return to basic principles?! For Merlin’s sake, how old did she think you all were? Eleven?!

Your father had once asked why you studied Defence Against the Dark Arts, and you didn’t really have an answer for it. You weren’t aiming for any type of job that needed you to be a graduate in the subject. Up until lately, you didn’t enjoy having  _ free time.  _ It made you antsy. Also, you had entered the class when younger, and you never left anything unfinished, but this… this was stretching you too much.  _ That _ with Umbridge was  _ fucking torture. _

“ I’m out,” you said to Eleanor, grabbing your stuff just as the woman opened the book in front of her.

Before she could call your name, you were out of the room.

You used the free time to finish your transfiguration homework and catch up with charms, hoping your decision in Umbridge’s class didn’t come back to haunt you. To no surprise, it did, and rather quickly.

“ Good afternoon, ma’am.”

Just as you were getting ready to leave for lunch, Umbridge made a turn in the corridor and locked eyes with you.

_ Amazing. _

“ Miss Malfoy,” she said with a smile that only sent bad shivers all over your spine. “Just the young woman I wanted to see.”

You tried to mirror the same smile, holding it on your face.

“ I can’t help but notice you walked away from my class this morning. Was there any problem with it?”

Your eyebrows shot right up for a moment, but you soon fixed your posture.

“ No, ma’am. Quite the contrary.”

She waited silently for what you had to say in your defence, and your cleared your throat.

“ I just realised that my plans for the future do not require a deep understanding of defensive magic, and the time could be used for further studying other subjects,” you said slowly. “Insisting on the class would be a waste of not only time but resource, not only mine but especially yours.”

The last word made her expression change to surprised.

“ You have so many things to do, ma’am, so many responsibilities. I don’t want to be another one of them.”

You didn’t know if the answer was satisfactory, but you couldn’t bare to be around the professor. A whole school year with her was a  _ hell _ .

“ Of course, you’re right. It’s good to know you’re focused on your future, Y/N, dear.”

The way she said your name almost made you cringe.

“ Of course, ma’am. There’s nothing more important that it. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

* * *

 

Professor Snape was doing an amazing job at ignoring the woman behind him writing down whatever she thought was important about his class, and you tried to do the same.

“ Are you gonna put someone’s hair in that?” you heard someone whispering by your side, making you turn your head to your side before covering the cauldron with the  _ amortentia  _ you were all brewing in the week’s class. “Or blood.”

By your side, Roger Davies was standing with a smile that was supposed to be flirtatious but didn’t do more annoy you.

“ No.”

He took a breath, seemingly discouraged for a moment, but followed you to your cauldron – which happened to be beside his.

“ So, Y/N,” he watched as you check the temperature of the elixir in front of you. “I heard Honeydukes has some new special edition pasties, I think they are made of mint and chocolate.”

“ I’ll be sure check them out when I have the time. Thank you.”

“ Actually, I thought we could…”

You raised your hand when your eyes locked with Snape’s, and he turned his body fully to your direction.

“ Yes, Miss Malfoy?”

“ I believe I’m finished, sir.”

Umbridge followed your potions master silently, and merely glanced at an embarrassed Davies while your work was carefully analysed.

“ Amazing Success, Miss Malfoy,” Snape announced, and the woman behind him approached your cauldron to give it a look. “You can bottle it up and leave.”

“ Thank you,” you nodded politely, turning to Davies. “If you'll excuse me now.”

“ Of course.”


	28. XXVIII

You froze in your spot when you reached the turn in the library and came face to face with Potter.

“ What are you doing here?” he questioned quickly, almost taking the words directly from your lips.

“ What-” you started, but was quickly interrupted.

“ It’s okay,” Ronald stood up. “Harry, that’s George’s girlfriend.”

The green-eyed teen’s eyes widened.

“ What?”

When you looked behind you, you quickly recognised your boyfriend’s younger brother and his best friend, and the girl gave you a polite nod.

“ It’s a long story,” you decided. “Your friends can explain it better than me.”

He just continued to stare at you, flabbergasted, and you held your books closer to your chest.

Your table was just two shelves away, and you couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with people lurking around you.

“ George is sitting there waiting for you,” Ronald continued. “I think he needs help with transfiguration.”

You nodded, still feeling stiff.

“ Excuse me.”

You found your boyfriend reading the transfiguration book with a frown and his eyebrows furrowed, but his face lit up as soon as he raised his eyes and saw you.

“ Y/N/N!” he smiled. “You came.”

“ I always come,” you sat by his side. “And you’re always surprised when I do.”

He blushed, scratching the back of his neck.

“ I guess I still can’t believe I got you as a girlfriend, then,” he smiled. “So, have you gotten around the Partial Transformation Spell? Cause I’m really lost here and Fred is of no help.”

You proceeded to spend the following hour like that, finishing your homework for the night, and George turned to you with a curious look and half a smile on his face.

“ Did you really leave Umbridge’s class this morning?” he enquired. “And without losing any house points?”

“ I did, yes,” you nodded. “I mean, I only did Defence Against the Dark Arts because it was an interesting class and turning to a stupid book isn’t gonna really be that interesting. And I really dislike her, so why insist?”

His face lit up with a surprised smile.

“ My girlfriend is so badass she walks away from a class with no damage,” he said proudly. “Man, I’m so lucky.”

You just laughed.

“ _ Silly,”  _ you rolled your eyes and he leaned forward.

“ But you like me, right?”

You followed the gesture, staring right into his eyes.

“ I do,” you whispered, and laid a peck on his lips.

“ More than your French boyfriend?” he asked with a wicked smile.

You let out a short laugh. Well, apparently he’d heard the story.

“ Way more than my French boyfriend.”

He kissed your lips again and shifted on his seat.

“ Y/N…” he said slowly. “You know we don’t judge one another, right?” he questioned in a whisper.

You nodded.

“ And I know we keep some stuff from one another,” he continued.

“ Yes.”

Your boyfriend looked into your eyes for a moment before averting his gaze.

“ Is Harry right?” he muttered. “Is You-Know-Who back?”

You distanced yourself from him for a moment, standing up and walking to a shelf.

“ I’m sorry,” George quickly stood up. “I’m sorry, I won’t bother you with that. It was stupid of me bringing it up.”

“ Yes,” you interrupted him, turning in your boyfriend’s direction.

George stopped in his place for a moment and rushed to your side.

“ There’s a reason why my mother wanted me out of the house during the summer. Their visitors are not friends.”

He stared at you, his face a mixture of sadness and fear.

“ Honestly, the only reason I’m not freaking out right now is because I’m at Hogwarts, but I don’t know what I’m gonna do after the school year is over. I don’t want to go back there.”

George’s mouth opened and closed for a moment.

“ But you just have to stay away from them when you go back home,” he said like it was obvious. “It’s simple.”

You shook your head.

“ It’s not. They are trying to lure me in, to make me join them.”

His brown eyes widened just as he ran in your direction, and soon George’s hands were holding you by your elbows.

“ You can’t do that!” he exclaimed. “You just can’t!”

“ I know,” you braced yourself. “I’m just afraid. I’m… more than afraid, I’m terrified.”

You felt his arms surrounding you, and George kissed your forehead protectively. His embrace ended suddenly, though, and he looked at you with a face of someone who’d just had the most brilliant idea.

“ Come home with me for Christmas.”

You frowned.

“ What?”

“ Please,” he insisted. “I have to talk to my parents, but I have an idea.”

You bit your lip.

“ George, I don’t know...”

“ Please,” he insisted. “Trust me. Just trust me.”

You stared at his face, still unsure, but sighed.

“ Fine. Okay. I’ll go with you.”


	29. XXIX

You had dodged everyone to get into Hogsmead, hiding from Eleanor, Draco, and every Slytherin who could possibly reveal to them your location, and were  now heading to the pub George had indicated to you. He was outside, looking around, clearly searching for you.

Just a few days earlier your boyfriend had questioned you if you’d be up to learning Defence Against the Dark Arts from someone who  _ knew  _ what they were doing; not with books, but with real life experience, highlighting that if you really wanted to stay away from the Death Eaters and be able to defend yourself, you needed to be there. You were hesitant at first, but you trusted George, and after he’d promised you that he’d find a way to help you with your home situation, you couldn’t say no to him. That was why you were there.

“ Am I late?” you questioned.

“ Everyone just got in, come on.”

You followed him in silence, closing the door behind yourself and holding your hand as he guided you to a small room. Potter, Granger and Ronald only gave you two a look, but many looked behind their back with the widest eyes.

You could recognise various students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw – which was no surprise – but none of Slytherin, but you weren’t very shocked.

“ I saved you two a seat,” Fred announced, pointing at two empty chairs by his side. “Hi, Y/N/N.”

“ Good afternoon, Fred.”

On his other side, Lee Jordan had his eyes and mouth open wide.

“ _ That _ ’s the girlfriend?” he questioned loudly, and you wondered if that was what everyone was thinking. “Dude… Your brother is dating Y/N fucking Malfoy?”

Ron let out a snort.

“ You’ll get used to it.”

You sat down, ignoring his look, and George quickly moved his hand to hold yours on your lap. When you looked at your side again, Jordan was still staring.

“ Do you want a picture? It will last longer.”

That made him close his mouth.

When Granger started talking, you knew the meeting was a bad idea. The girl was stuttering, muttering, and looked unsure herself of what she was doing, until…

“ Because Lord Voldemort is back.”

There were mutters and whispers, and someone managed to yelp while other just looked straight at Potter, most of them shooting daggers.

“ And where’s the proof?” some blond Hufflepuff questioned, aggressively.

“ Dumbledore...” Granger started.

“ Believes in him,” she pointed at Potter. “We deserve to know why  _ he _ thinks You-Know-Who is back.”

Then Potter began to speak. He spoke about what he saw and what he experienced, but things went south from that.

“ George, are you sure...”

“ Is it true that you can produce a Patronus?” someone asked, and your head shot right back. “A corporeal Patronus.”

You listened closer. Apparently, he’d done so. He’d also killed a basilisk and saved the Philosopher’s stone from The Dark Lord’s hands. And there was the TriWizard Tournament, of course. You couldn’t deny, he was  _ good  _ at whatever that was he was doing.

You all agreed to a meeting a week but things got tense when a list was brought up. What if it was found? Everyone would be severely punished.

“ I have some hiding spells,” you raised your voice, then raised your chin when you felt the eyes on you. “I can make the list snoop proof.”

Granger was surprised with your words, but soon agreed on accepting your help with the spells on the parchment. When everyone lined up to sign it, there was a weird feeling in the air.

“ Full name?” you arched an eyebrow to Granger.

“ First and last are okay.”

_ Y/N Malfoy. _

The last person signed up and you pulled out your wand, muttering the same spells you’d used on the diaries carefully.

“ There you go,” you gave the parchment to Granger. “Absolutely safe.”

She looked at you, rather unsure of how to react, but nodded not long later.

“ Thank you. I’ll contact everyone soon.”

  
  



	30. XXX

The Decree didn’t stop you from meeting, and the group now had a name. D.A. Dumbledore’s Army. The first meeting was a success, and the following was already scheduled.

You couldn’t lie. You were feeling excited and  _ happy  _ with the whole ‘DA” thing. You’d learnt spells you never thought you would be able to do, and you were actually  _ happy. _

“Are you gonna cheer for me in the game?” George enquired.

You were in your usual hiding spot, with him leant onto the closest wall and you between his spread legs.

“You know you’ll be playing against my brother, right?” you arched him an eyebrow. “And my house.”

He nodded a bit and shrugged.

“Well… You see. I’m your boyfriend. You certainly like me more than you like him,” he teased. “Right?”

You chuckled. There was no need to dive into that rabbit hole.

“You should go,” you pointed. “You start Defence Against the Dark Arts in ten minutes.”

He pouted but gave your cheek a kiss before leaving your side and soon after.

You sat back, returning to studying. Your next class – one that George and Fred would also attend – would be Transfigurations and you were still unsure you could perform the Advanced Conjuration Spell perfectly. You had a pile of books on the other side of the library, and wouldn’t rest before bringing all of them together

You left when you heard the bell, quickening your pace to get to the classroom, but stopped when a hand caught your elbow.

“Y/N.”

Eleanor’s green eyes were as big as two plates glued to yours, and her skin looked paler than ever. It was like she’s just seen her own ghost.

“Elea-”

“I need to talk to you,” she pulled you along with her to a corner while other students entered the classroom just a few steps from you, and George and Fred stopped a few steps away from the two of you, with your boyfriend staring at you and your best friend a worried look. “It’s very urgent.”

You frowned, opening your mouth and closing it for a moment, confused.

“What’s wrong?” you enquired.

But she didn’t answer. The line of students had finished entering the classroom and you ( _ all four of you)  _ needed to get inside.

“Meet me after class. It’s really important.”

She moved away from you, but you held her hand.

“Are you okay?”

Your friend stared at your eyes for a moment, green irises filled with fear and underline desperation.

“Just meet me. Please.”

“ _ Okay.” _

She entered, leaving you with your jaw a bit slacked.

When you turned your eyes to the two redheads in front of you, your boyfriend had taken a small step forward.

“Is everything okay?” he mouthed to you.

You nodded quickly, moving into the classroom and earning just a glance from McGonagall.

“Let’s get started.”

. . .

You played with the cord around your neck nervously, rubbing your own palm nervously while waiting for Eleanor to show up and stood up as soon as your friend entered the room.

You two were alone, and she rushed to sit down by your side behind the recliner.

Your friend hugged your tightly, resting her head on your shoulder.

“Y/N…” she whispered.

Everything crossed your mind at the moment. Maybe someone had hurt her or something bad had happened to someone in her family. What if her father was taken to Azkaban? No… Your mother would have sent you a letter already if that was it.

“What happened?” you questioned when she sat back on her heels.

“My father sent me a letter,” she said with a cold face. “He said they have waited too long already, enough time has passed. I’m an adult.”

You frowned. She was an adult for a long time now. What was the big deal with it?

“They said I should follow...” she breathed deeply, her voice returning filled with distress. “That I should follow in the family's footsteps.”

“How?” you questioned, but you already knew where her words were taking you to.

“The Dark Lord wants to meet me,” she whispered, only loud enough for you to hear. “They want me to become a Death Eater.”

You took a long breath, feeling your chest hurt. You were not surprised. Your father had given you the choice to stay away but you didn’t know how long his patience would last.

“What are you gonna do?”

She just looked into your eyes.

“You already know,” Eleanor reached out, holding your hand. “Y/N, I was raised for this. I know every spell,  _ we  _ know every spell. We know how to do things, we know what’s right, we know  _ He _ is right. He’s the best choice. How can I say no? How can we say no?”

You swallowed hard, keeping your face neutral. She wasn’t lying.

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” you reminded your friend. “You know that, right?”

You felt her eyes digging into yours, and your cousin bit her lower lip.

“What about you?” she questioned. “Wouldn’t you say yes?”

The tone of her voice and the underline implications made you shiver.

“I thought we were talking about you, Eleanor. When did this turn into a conversation about me?”


	31. XXXI

“Y/N/N? Y/N?” you heard, turning to George silently, and finding that your boyfriend was staring at you.

“Yes?”

“I was talking to you,” he said like it was obvious.

“Sorry,” you looked down for a moment. “I spaced out. Do you think Eleanor knows something?”

He turned to you with a frown, suddenly becoming worried.

“What do you mean?”

You breathed deep.

“There was something in her eyes,” you covered your face with your hands for a moment. “I don’t know. I… I don’t know. But they are pressuring her, how long until I’m the one being pressured into taking any decision?”

Your boyfriend didn’t answer, and you took a long breath.

“What if my father heard something about us?” you whispered. “Maybe… I don’t know,” you rubbed your temples. “Merlin, I hate not knowing things.”

George crossed his arms, almost hugging himself. 

“I know,” he muttered. “But do remember what you told me when you got better from the black cat flu?”

You turned to him, confused, and he walked to you.

“If your father ever found out about us, he would take you the furthest away from me he could. I would never,  _ every _ be able to see you again.”

Your shoulders relaxed. He was right, you were overreacting.

“Come here,” George whispered, pulling you closer and caressing your face with his hands the same way you did to him whenever he was stressing over something. “You’re gonna be fine.”

You couldn’t help but soften up at his touch and caring words.

“How are you so sure?”

He stared into your eyes for a moment and shrugged with a small smile.

“You see, I got this really smart girlfriend, a very nice Slytherin girl. And I would do anything to protect her.”

You chuckled, and he licked his lips for a bit.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispered, and you nodded with a tiny smile.

Your boyfriend lied a peck on the tip of your nose, then on your chin and then on your lips before pulling away and staring into your eyes once again.

“Relax. Everything is gonna be just fine.”

. . .

“Are you okay?” you heard by your side and turned to look at Draco.

It was lunchtime, and while everyone was chatting and interacting, you were eating silently.

“Uh?” you turned to him. “Oh, yes. I’m fine.”

“Really?” he questioned, sounding worried. “Sorry to say but you look a bit like crap.”

You chuckled, shaking your head a bit.

“It’s the whole N.E.W.T.s stuff,” you said, not fully lying and yet no telling the truth. “I got a lot to study and lots of magic to go through and things like that.”

Your brother gave you a small smile.

“Anything I can help with?” he offered.

_ Oh, Draco. _

“Unfortunately, I don’t think so,” you sighed. “It’s mostly things I have to deal alone.”

He went back into silence, and you played with your soup with your spoon, finding it to be too now cold to consume.

“Are you going home for Christmas?” you changed the subject.

“Yeah. Are you?”

You shook your head.

“I’m going to France,” you lied.

“It’s a good break then,” he noticed. “Do you need anything from home?”

“Mum sent me some clothes and stuff I can take there, but I’ll let you know if I need anything,” you gave him a smile, but it died quickly. “Did she or dad talk to you about anything?”

Your brother shot you a confused look.

“What do you mean?”

You shifted on your seat.

“Anything out of the ordinary,”

But Draco shook his head.

“Why? Did they write about anything weird to you?”

You denied quickly.

“No. I was just asking.”


	32. XXXII

“ You can practice in pairs,” Potter announced. “First, the Impediment Jinx and then Stunning again.”

George pushed up his sleeves, exposing part of his forearms just as you tied your hair up and away from your face.

“ Hey, Malfoy,” your boyfriend called, and you just knew he was about to pull a bad pun. “I don’t think we need to train the second one, cause I already get stunned any time you look at me.”

Several people sniggered, rolling their eyes, and you chuckled, shaking your head.

“ Don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you’re cute Weasley.”

He opened a large smile, one of those you absolutely loved seeing.

“ I don’t expect less than the best from my girl.”

After 10 minutes of the Impediment Jinx, Potter got the cushions and spread then, and you got ready to start with Stunning again. Right of the start, to many people’s surprise and erupting a great deal of pride from you, George had managed to throw you across the room with a swing of his wand.

“ Are you okay?” he questioned, running in your direction and offering you a hand so you could get up.

“ You’re great!” you gave him a smile, taking the offer, and was surprised to see what was over you two.

“ George, look.”

A mistletoe.

Your boyfriend complied, chuckling while he helped you get on your feet.

“ Shall we?” he leant a bit in your direction, and you took his face in your hands, kissing him gently.

George put his hands on the sides of your waist, but you two didn’t have more than a couple of seconds before someone called you out.

“ Get a room you two!”

You rolled your eyes, moving away from your boyfriend just as he blushed crimson.

“ Go find a girlfriend and get off of my ass, Smith,” you snarked back, unaffected, and smiled sweetly to George. “We can kiss more later.”

. . .

The next morning, you woke up with a message from George in your diary stating his father had been injured and that he would explain more himself when the time allowed, later asking you to keep it a secret, but you knew that already.

When Christmas’ break came around, you had to meet Granger and a pink haired girl you remembered from your first years in Hogwarts in a bathroom in King’s Cross anheasparated into a street you knew too well.

Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place was where you had spent part of your younger years when your grandparents were still alive, and it had the same dark and creepy air around and inside it as you remembered, but got you just ultimately confused.

What were you doing in there?

Fore you could ask the woman, though, you were engulfed in a hug just as soon as you entered the place.

“ You’re here,” your boyfriend said against your neck before releasing you.

“ Yeah,” you nodded. “George. This… This place...”

“ Belongs to the Black family, yes,” a man moved to your front.

You quickly recognised him. Sirius Black.

“ George and his mother were very insistent on bringing you along with Hermione,” he continued. “When I was younger I thought my family would never surprise me again but there you are, doing so,” he noticed. “Y/N Black Malfoy, aren’t you?”

“ Exactly.”

He nodded slowly.

“ I’m Sirius Black, your first cousin once removed,” he offered you a hand. “You already met Tonks. She is the daughter of your mothers sister, Andromeda, you probably have heard about her. Although Narcissa and Bellatrix may have been hiding her existence just as well.”

“ They tried,” you nodded. “But I know about her story. And I’ve seen Tonks in school.”

_ I just didn’t know she was family. _

“ Y/N!” Mrs Weasley walked into the room. “There you are!”

“ Hello, ma’am,” you said politely. “It’s very ni-”

“ George told us about your parents and what they are trying to do to you,” she interrupted you. “Didn't take much to convince the others you need help, especially Sirius and Tonks.”

Your eyes moved to the man but he said nothing.

“ Thank you.”

“ Molly,” you all heard someone calling, and she glanced over her shoulder.

“ Come with me, dear. There are some people who need to talk to you.”


	33. XXXIII

Your pink-haired  _ cousin _ , Mad-Eye Moody, Professor Lupin and a pair of other people you didn’t know sat around what used to be the dinner table, staring straight at you in a way that made you shiver.

“Miss Malfoy,” your former professor – the one who actually taught at Hogwarts—said slowly.

You tried to keep your head up and your posture from showing how uncomfortable you were with the whole situation.

“Sir.”

The door closed behind you and Sirius walked in, sitting with them just as Mrs Weasley came to your side.

“Is this really necessary?” she questioned, resting a hand on your back. “Alastor, she’s just a child!”

“She’s old enough, Molly,” Moody hissed. “Sit down, Malfoy.”

Keeping your face clean and neutral, you complied.

‘Tonks’ put a glass in front of you silently, but you didn’t move your eyes from the group.

“Drink. We have some questions.”

You didn’t protest, chuging the content down in seconds. It was juice, but you knew it was  _ spiked. _

“What is your name?” she enquired.

“Y/N Black Malfoy.”

“If you weren’t named Y/N, which name would you have?”

“Vega,” you blurted out, remembering a conversation you had had with your mother once, when she told you the ideas of names she had for you and Draco. “Or Libra.”

“When is your birthday?” Sirius questioned.

“13 th of August.”

Something inside you was wrong. You weren’t thinking, you couldn‘t hold your words back or filter them.

“What are you parents’ names?”

“Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. What is wrong with me?”

Moody stared into your eyes.

“That’s what a truth potion feels like. Why did you tell George Weasley your father recruited you?”

You tried holding back but it didn’t work, and the words came out of your mouth without any permission.

“Because I trust him and I tell him my secrets, and I was scared of what that means. I still am.”

Everyone fell silent and you felt as Mrs Weasley walked up behind you.

“I think that’s enough.”

“Why did you come here?” Lupin asked.

“Because once I say a definitive ‘no’ to my father, there will be no place to be in the world,” you felt tears pricking from your eyes, filled with embarrassment. “And George said he would do anything to protect me, and if that means coming here and asking for your help, then so be it.”

Your breath was coming hard, and your face stone cold as sweat mixed with your tears. You were trying to fight. They were invading your space and you  _ yourself. _

“What abut the Order?” Tonks tapped lightly on the table.

You just felt confusion, staring at her.

“What Order?”

Everyone fell back into silence, and Mrs Weasley coached you into standing up.

“It’s enough,” she held you and you felt like you were about to get sick. “Come on, dear. You look like you’ve seen your own ghost.”

“Why didn’t you join the Death Eaters?” Sirius Black enquired before you could leave.

You turned to your head to him.

“Sirius!” your boyfriend’s mother said in a disapproving tone.

“Anyone who preached death to their own people has some deep problems, Sirius Black. I love my parents, and I love them enough to understand and accept they are not perfect and can be wrong. And they  _ are _ wrong,” you said coldly. “I may be cold, or put myself first, and all of the things you see as wrong in a Slytherin but make me proud, but I have principles. Most of us do.”

“Come on,” the woman pulled you with her. “Interrogating a child… What an overreaction! Poor girl!”

You left the room together, and before Mrs Weasley could sit you down on the couch, George popped onto your side.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m gonna be sick,” you answered, trying to keep your breath steady.

“Is that normal?” your boyfriend asked, confused and worried, while pulling his wand. “ _ Accio, can.” _

An empty trash can came to his hand, placing it in front of you and moving your hair behind your ear.

“It’s an emotional reaction,” someone said behind him and you could identify Granger’s voice. “Kinda.”

You glared at her and the girl shifted on her spot.

“The potion causes a lot of distress and she is clearly fighting it. That’s how Malfoy is reacting to all of that.”

George turned to her and then to you again.

“So we just have to get her to calm down?” he sounded less worried.

“Essentially.”

He sat by your side, holding your hand, and you soon felt the pulling on your body before  _ apparating _ in another room.

There were two beds made there, and you quickly noticed your stuff close to one of them. He put you on one of them, leaning down and helping you out of your shoes while you took off your jacket, still feeling your stomach twisted in knots.

“Do you know how long the potion lasts?” he questioned shyly.

“More than a couple of hours if they got it from someone decent,” you spat before losing whar was left of your breakfast in the can in your hands.

He hesitated, sucking his lips in and scratching the back of his head,

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I hope it’s not the combination of my safe or how my first kiss went.”

George chuckled.

“Nothing like that,” he rolled his eyes. “I, uh… Why me?”

You just stared at him in confusion.

“Why do you like me? Why do you date me? We’re so different and, still, we’re together! Why did you choose me?”

“But I never chose you,” you looked into his eyes. “You chose me.”

Your boyfriend’s face changed in confusion.

“I did?”

You nodded gently.

“You smiled to me first, you held me first, you saved my life… You were there before I even knew you were there, you chose me before I knew it.”

He continued to stare at you.

“Really?”

You nodded silently.

“You could have said no if you wanted to.”

“Why would I?” you questioned frankly. “You were the first guy who ever made me laugh, and you never expect anything from me. I can be myself and you’ll never expect anything from me, I can be myself and you’ll never be disappointed. Even if I’m wrong or I don’t know any better, you’re there to teach me how to be a better person with empathy and an open heart. “

To that, George opened a large smile, blushing all over his face and neck.

“And I like when you do that,” you pointed shyly. “You look absolutely adorable when you’re embarrassed and when you’re doing something you love or talking about your eyes start shinning like two huge stars.

George blushed even more and you reached out to caress his cheek with your hand, feeling how hot his skin was in comparison with yours.

“And your hair is amazing. The colour, the texture, the way it falls on your...”

He shook his head, smiling more and kissing your palm.

“Okay.”

George got up silently, sitting on the other side of the bed, and the two of you lied on the bed hesitantly. When both your heads were rested on the single pillow, he moved his hand down and held yours, lacing your fingers together.

Your heart – which had slowed down while you two talked – started racing again while the two of you remained silent side by side. You’d never been that close, especially lying on a  _ bed.  _ The long twin mattress didn’t leave space enough for you and George, which left the two of you completely squeezed against one another.

“Would you have told me all of that if you hadn’t taken the potion?” he whispered.

“No,” you said without thinking, although that hadn’t come from the potion. “Not all at once, at least.”

Your boyfriend took a deep and long breath.

“Okay.”

 


	34. XXXIV

You woke up a bit confused, looking around trying to piece together your environment when George’s hand – still tightly holding yours – brought back the memory of just hours earlier.

“You’re awake,” you heard, instantly making you jump and bump onto George.

Standing up beside the other bed in the room, Tonks was looking at your direction. “Dinner is ready.”

You ran a hand on your hair, yawning.

“Thank you.”

George was shaken awake by your own moving, and just a couple of minutes later – after some teeth and hair brushing you joined the others in the dinning room.

You could feel some stares but chose to ignore them, and silently thanked Fred when he pointed at the seats he’d saved for you and his twin.

After you serve yourselves and some awkward silence the conversation started flowing and you finally took a moment to glance at Mr Weasley. He looked very pale and debilitated, you could see clearly, but probably better than ever before.

The next morning, everyone started putting up Christmas decorations and you felt a bit of a lift on your spirit. You loved putting things together for it and it seemed to be something the other people present shared with you just as well.

Later, even Potter – who’d been hiding in his room, apparently – came out to see what you’d done, and you felt a bit of pride when his eyes gazed for a bit of while at the faily lights you’d spread on the wall carefully. When the day ended, the house was unrecognisable. George kissed you goodnight, something the others were getting used to and kinda ignored by now – and when you finished getting ready to sleep, the bed beside yours finally had someone sleeping in.

“Good night,” Tonks said politely, tucking herself while you did the same.

“Good night.”

But 15 minutes later, you couldn’t sleep. Your eyes were wide open, and your mind running fast.

“Are you awake?” you heard from the other side of the bedroom.

“Yeah,” you muttered. “Can’t stop thinking of some stuff.”

She remained silent for a moment but soon spoke.

“Like what?”

“Like we’ve never even talked to each other,” you pointed. “And I was never interested enough to try and find out what happened to my aunt. I mean… we went to the same school together at a point and I didn’t even know we were cousins.”

“I did,” she said, to your surprise. “I knew a bit about your mother and Bellatrix, and that included you and your brother.”

You felt embarrassed.

“So,” you cleared your throat. “Do you resemble your mother a lot? Physically, I mean?”

Tonks made silence, and you finally realised what you’d just said and what was behind it, and you two just started laughing together.

“I mean, I can change into her if you want it so much, but I’m more like a changing individual depending on the moment.”

You covered your face with your hands for a moment in pure embarrassment.

“What about you?” she questioned.

You nodded to yourself.

“I hear that I look a lot like my mother,” you confessed. “Some people say it’s like watching the past through a window.”

She made silence for a moment.

“That must be a bit haunting.”

You shifted on your mattress.

“My grandmother…  _ our  _ grandmother always called me Cissa,” you confessed after correcting yourself. “She forgot a lot of things as she got older. No one even thought of correcting her, so I just went along with it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” you sighed. “She made the elves cook my mum’s favourite dishes and we even played her favourite games.”

You heard Tonks suddenly moving.

“Did you play ‘Little green hiding witch’?” your cousin exclaimed.

“If I catch you, your turn lime green!” you did the same. “Oh, Merlin, I loved it! Sometimes mum played with me and Draco, she always let us win.”

Tonks chuckled.

“I wanted to play it at Hogwarts,” she told you. “But I didn’t know the spell to turn the people green, I just knew how to undo it.”

You moved your head to the direction of her voice.

“It’s the same spell,” you said with a small smile. “Cast it on the first person and clean it off of the last.”

“Really?” she sounded surprised.

“Really.”

The woman made silence, and you heard as she fell back on her bed. 

“I could have had a cousin like you as a kid,” she muttered. “It would have been nice.”

“Yeah,” you sighed, laying back down. “I think so too.”

  
  



	35. XXXV

You groaned against your pillow when loud bangs on the door woke you up. You had spent the whole night talking to Tonks and had only fallen asleep maybe at four or five in the morning.

“Wake up,” you heard outside. “It’s Christmas!”

“It’s also too early,” you groaned. “Go away.”

Instead of complying, the person only entered the room, and you instinctively kicked the direction when hands tickled your sides.

“Bloody hell, woman!” George cussed loudly, moaning in pain and you sat up quickly, recognizing your boyfriend’s face behind his hands. “I didn’t know you had fighting skills!”

You stood up, reaching for his wrists.

“George! Merlin, are you okay?” you pulling his hands from his face, seeing his nose red and bleeding. “Don’t sneak up on me like that! What were you doing?”

He groaned.

“I just wanted to surprise you!”

“You certainly did!” you pulled your wand from under your pillow, fixing his broken nose quickly and summoning the closest cloth to clean up the blood. “Don’t do that again!”

You two heard a chuckle and turned your heads to its direction, finding Tonks casually putting on a robe over her pajamas.

“Good morning, fighter.”

You looked down at the foot of your bed and felt confused. You only expected George’s gift to be waiting for you, but the pile clearly had six presents.

“Who are those for?” you questioned your boyfriend.

“Uh… I think they are for you. But it’s just a guess.”

You side-eyed him, and approached the pile with hesitance, ready for it to explode on your face.

On the very top, you could see George’s name and raised your eyebrows at him.

“Go on,” he gave you a shy smile. “Open it.”

“It’s not a Pygmy Puff, is it?” you enquired without opening it. “George, we both know...”

“You don’t have time to take care of a Pygmy Puff,” he interrupted you. “And, let’s be honest, I’m the only one who will get your cuddles.”

You chuckled, finally opening the gift and smiling a bit when you recognized the pink magic fireworks.

“Well?” you glanced at him.

“We’re gonna light that up later,” he promised.

“Okay.”

The following gift was Fred’s, with a sappy Christmas’ Card that made you smile, followed by a book from Granger and a pair of freshly knitted socks from Mrs. Weasley – which you imagine had come from you complaining to your boyfriend about always forgetting to get thicker socks.

You froze when you reached the second last gift.

“What is wrong?” George questioned.

“Uh… It’s from Tonks and her mother.”

He made silence for a moment, and you two just stared at each other for a moment before you opened said present. It was a bottle of perfume.

“It’s nice,” your boyfriend said when you sprayed it on your wrist. “Smells good.”

“Yeah,” you shifted on your place. “It’s nice.”

But he knew better than that.

“What is it?” he enquired.

“She got me a gift,” you crossed your arms, rubbing your own skin, trying to comfort yourself. “I mean, I’ve seen her in my life and she got me a gift.”

Your boyfriend walked to you in response, putting his hands on your side.

“Well, that means she wants something with you,” he affirmed. “She’s your aunt, after all, and Tonks is your cousin. That’s a bridge, right? She’s trying to get close to you, both of them are.”

You nodded a bit.

“Still feels weird,” you whispered.

George chuckled.

“You need to get used to people being nice to you,” he pointed. “Affection isn’t bad.”

You bit your lip in response, embarrassed, and he kissed your cheek not a second later.

“Just write her a letter,” he suggested. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to be hearing from you.”

You nodded once again, and George leaned closer to give your lips a peck which reminded you of a single detail you seemed to have forgotten to do after getting up.

You covered your mouth with both your hands in a rush.

“I haven’t brushed my teeth!”

Your boyfriend laughed.

“Go on.”

You almost jumped into the bathroom, making sure your mouth smelt fresh and your hair looked its best before getting back to your room, and George grabbed your hand before you could even put a second foot inside, kissing you passionately while hugging you with a single arm.

When he stepped back, your eyes went wide and you could feel your face burning deeply.

“Happy Christmas!” he smiled.

“Happy Christmas,” you managed to say and looked behind your back at the door. “Let’s go down to breakfast, I’m starving.”

He was about to leave the room, but you both stopped when you held his elbow, noticing the last gift on the foot of your bed.

“There’s one left,” you pointed.

He stopped to wait for you, and you knelt down to lift the green large box with Sirius’ name on top and unwrapped its paper gently. Inside, there was another green box, this time made of velvet, and that made you frown.

Why would Sirius give you something that came in a velvet large box?

You opened it carefully after glancing at George and almost dropped it when you caught a glimpse of what was in front of you.

“Bloody Merlin!” you yelped.

Inside the box, there was a set of circlet and earrings made of Sapphires and studded diamonds.

That was definitely not something you were expecting out of a gift.

“I need to talk to Sirius.”


	36. XXXVI

You ran down the stairs so fast you even forgot you were barefoot and didn’t even care when everyone turned to you in confusion when you jumped into the room. When you came face to face with your cousin, though, you had no actual words.

“How?” you managed to let out. “And why?”

Everyone stared at you in full confusion, but Sirius just laughed.

“Uh… You’re welcome?”

You nodded slowly.

“Thank you,” you corrected yourself. “But I keep my questioning.”

Your eyes moved to his side when Potter moved to listen closely to your conversation.

“I didn’t go out of my way for your gift, don’t worry,” he affirmed. “Your grandmother gave my mother that set as a wedding gift and I think it will fit you much better than me, dark blue is really not my colour.”

You just continued to glare at him and only turned to your side when George tapped on your shoulder.

“Honey, close your mouth.”

You complied, shutting your lips, but that didn’t change how he’d just blown your mind for a moment.

“Take it as an… Early wedding gift,” Sirius said with an amused tone. “Based on how quick his parents got married, I don’t think George will want to waste any time with you.”

You felt your cheeks burning and move your eyes away, quickly noticing how George’s face was absolutely red in embarrassment.

“Are you hungry?” he said out of nowhere. “I’m hungry. I’m gonna eat.”

Your boyfriend practically ran out of the room, leaving you with your cousin. When your eyes caught Tonks with the corner of your eye, you used the opportunity to go to her.

“Hey,” you walked to your first cousin. “Thank you. For the gift, I mean.”

“You’re welcome,” the woman smiled to you. “My mother picked it herself. She really put effort on it. And my father told me to send his regards”

You gave her a small smile.

“Send mine right back to him. And I hope your parents have a very Happy Christmas.”

Tonks only nodded in response and walked to the kitchen, finding a group of people having breakfast and sitting down along with them.

“Good morning, darling,” Mrs Weasley smiled to you. “Did you sleep well? Are you hungry?”

George sat by your side before you could respond. You couldn’t help but noticed how her eyes were red and puffy, and how she seemed very tense, but you knew better than to ask any questions.

“Yes, ma’am,” you said politely to her. “I also loved the gift. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

* * *

You giggled when George nibbed on your neck, tickling your sides. This time you weren’t kicking him though. You had found yourselves a moment alone, and things had progressed to the point you were completely curled on his lap, with your legs over the armchair’s side and his arm holding your side tightly against him.

You let out a soft sigh when you felt your boyfriend’s teeth biting very slightly on your jaw on its way and squirmed on his lip.

“George!” you protested a tiny bit, not asking, however, for him to stop or anything.

“Uh?” your boyfriend hummed in response, unworried, reaching your earlobe and licking it in a very teasing way.

You turned to him, and George was quick to catch your lips in a kiss.

Soon enough, you had your hands holding him tightly by his hair and his right hand climbing your thighs. To be honest, you didn’t really mind when his hand landed on your hip, squeezing you slightly, and only kissed him harder when he squeezed you with the very same hand.

“Not on my couch!” you heard Sirius’ voice echoing through the room and jumped out of George’s reach quickly. “George, everyone is getting ready to visit your father, go catch up with them.”

You felt your cheeks burning up and hid your face in your hands while your boyfriend ran out of the room.

“The rest of us are having tea,” your older cousin affirmed. “Are you coming?”

You stared at him for a moment, but cleared your throat and ran your hands through your hair, trying to fix it.

“Give me a minute and I’ll be there.”


	37. XXXVII

**WC** : 540 words

**Warnings** : Canon divergence. Lots and lots of fluff. Spoilers. Family bonding.

Proofread by the lovely @onebatch--twobatch

 

You relaxed a bit on your chair when Kreacher left your group alone in the room. You were sitting in the kitchen with your cousins and Professor Lupin, and you didn’t know where Moody had gone, but it made you a lot more comfortable. Somehow, you almost felt like you were with your family.

“I have a question,” Sirius said after you all served yourselves. “We all do, but I’m the only one brave enough to do so.”

You glanced at Tonks and Lupin, but they didn’t say anything, and you shrugged anyway.

“Well, ask away.”

“How did you end up with George?”

You chuckled. You weren’t surprised, seeing by how you’d heard that from almost everyone who knew about you two.

“It’s a bit of a long story,” you said slowly.

“We’re listening,” Sirius grinned. “I’ve been curious since I heard about you two.”

You shifted a bit on your seat.

“Last year, last Christmas to be more exact, we had the TriWizard Tournament at school,” you reminded them, feeling Lupin’s and Tonks’ eyes on you. “And there was this guy and he was my date to the Yule Ball.”

“I’m gonna suppose that was not George,” your former professor pointed.

“Definitely not George. He was from Durmstrang, he was Krum’s friend and about to graduate, though I’m unsure if he actually did.”

They all raised curious eyebrows at that, and you continued.

“He was my date and we had a nice night up until a point. We ate, we talked, and we danced. And then he wanted me to show him Hogwarts.”

Your older cousin frowned, muttering something under his breath, but didn’t interrupt you.

“He attacked me in the gardens, we had a very physical fight because I didn’t have my wand with me and I’m unsure if he had his,” you tried to keep your voice in the same tone that you had started, but couldn’t really hide your discomfort. “When I thought I had lost, George showed up and helped me. And then professor Snape showed up and took care of the boy while George walked me back to my common room. We became friends after that and one thing led to the other, and we started dating in the summer.”

Sirius nodded slowly.

“Do you know what happened to the student who attacked you?” he questioned, sounding genuinely concerned.

You hesitated.

“I heard he was taken care of,” you said slowly. “But that’s all.”

They fell into silence, and your younger cousin cleared her throat when it became clear no one else would say anything.

“Well, you two are a really nice couple,” she decided. “You look happy.”

You bit your lip.

“I feel happier,” you replied, feeling your cheeks warming up. “George is very nice, he’s one of the best people I know, I’m really thankful for what he did and what he still does.”

She gave you a small smile.

“You get those eyes when you talk about him,” she noticed. “That’s good.”

You felt your face hot but chose to ignore it.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” she reached for a biscuit and looked directly at Lupin’s face. “Love is nothing to be less than happy about.”

You took a breath.

“Okay,” you said just over a mutter. “Thank you.”


	38. XXXVIII

“Do you have to do this here?” Fred complained. “Right in front of me?”

You were in the room the twins shared, and this was your last day of Christmas break. After the couch incident, you and your boyfriend had become a bit more handsy than before. No one except for Sirius had caught you, but the next morning George shyly informed you that you two wouldn’t be allowed in private rooms alone anymore. Furthermore, if you were together in any other room, the door should be completely open, so you had no real privacy. With all that, Fred ended up being the one who sat with you in places with the door closed such as where you were right now.

“Well, you’re free to go,” your boyfriend raised his face from where he was placing light kisses in your neck while you read a book, sitting on his lap.

“You know I’m not,” his brother rolled his eyes. “If I go, mum will yell at me right back in here again. Or worse, she’ll come to sit right where I am, and she won’t be nice with you two being all lovey-dovey and over each other like now.”

You felt your face warming up and looking in his direction with a gentle smile.

“Thank you for being so nice and staying with us, Fred. You are a great friend.”

To that, his face lit up with a grin.

“See, George?” he pointed. “Your girl has manners.”

George only laughed, holding you close to his body.

“She’s really great, isn’t she? I hit the jackpot!”

You just chuckled, rolling your eyes and suppressing a soft giggle. You weren’t  _ that  _ comfortable around Fred.

“I don’t want to go to Hogwarts,” George said with a sigh, losing the glee in his eyes. “I think it is the first time I feel like that in my life.”

You understood him perfectly. With Umbridge there, your lives were pitiful and adding it to the fact you and George couldn’t be around one another as much as you wanted only made it worse.

“It’s just a few months,” you reminded them. “We will survive.”

The two boys fell silent, causing you to turn to your boyfriend.

“Come on, George,” you insisted. “It won’t be so bad.”

“We both know it will,” he insisted.

You hesitate.

“Okay, I know it will,” you took a breath. “But it’s our last year, and I know that as soon as we graduate we will be alright.”

They tried to protest, but the sound of steps climbing the stairs made you two stop and you stand up. You weren’t sure of who was there, but knew very well that Mrs. Wealsey wouldn’t be happy to see how you and George were sitting.

You had just sat on the bed when the door opened, and the three of you looked in her direction.

“Y/N, dear,” your boyfriend’s mother stepped in. “Are you busy? Sirius wants to talk to you in private.”

You frowned but put your book aside.

“Of course, ma’am.”

You followed her out of the room, glancing back at the two boys behind you before closing the door.

“Is there anything wrong?” you enquired.

“I’m afraid he’s the only one you can ask,” she answered, in no way easing your nervousness.

She walked you into the library, where Sirius was sat, and she left the two of you alone.

You walked to him in silence and the man smiled when he saw you.

“Y/N,” he sounded relaxed. “Sit down, have some tea.”

You complied, reaching for the tea at the small table between the two of you.

“I have a confession to make,” he put his cup away. “I invited you here with some other intentions.”

You sat straighter, not as nervous as before but both curious and a bit hesitant.

“When Molly told me about you, I saw a bit of myself. The kid who went wrong on his family and decided that he wouldn’t be as hateful as them and took a totally different turn in life; met some people that were different and learned the truth about life,” he chuckled. “I wanted to see you up close, to spend time with you and see if you were what who I imagined. That’s why I invited you to spend Christmas here.”

You kept your silence, still watching him, and Sirius reached for the plate between you.

“Biscuit?” he offered.

You took one and took a bite, but didn’t move your eyes from his figure.

“You are different than I thought,” he pointed. “But that’s not bad. You are also in a situation I never saw myself getting into, with your parents and the whole… Death Eaters thing…” he said slowly, trying to be sensitive. “Molly told me how afraid you are of going home, and I cannot blame you. That’s why I’m here to say that you don’t have to go back home after Hogwarts.”

You frowned.

What was he saying? If you didn’t go home, where would you go? You had no job guaranteed and the only money you had was controlled closely by your parents.

“When school is over I want you to live here.”

Your eyes widened and your jaw dropped.

“What?”

He smiled openly, probably amused by your expression.

“You won’t need to worry about finding somewhere to stay or how to pay for food or basic needs. Kraster is still good at cooking and you are in the family tree he adores so much. I even think my mother’s portrait will stop complaining so much with you around. She liked Cissa, and you resemble her a bit. The most important thing is that you will be safe in here. I promise that.”

But you still couldn’t believe what he had said.

“Live here? Are you certain?”

“Absolutely.”

You opened and closed your mouth, making your cousin laugh.

“It’s okay, kid. You don’t have to say anything.”

“Thank you!” you exclaimed. “Thank you so much.”

Not thinking, you launched yourself in his arms, surprising both of you for a moment before Sirius squeezed you.

“Don’t worry, kid. That’s what family is for.”


	39. XXXIX

You closed your eyes when George caressed your cheek and gave his lips another peck.

“I’m gonna miss being that close to you,” he whispered, ignoring everyone looking at you. “I guess I’ll see you around the corridors.”

You nodded softly, and your boyfriend stepped away from you.

“I have to go now,” you looked around the group. “I can’t go with you.”

Still a bit awkward and embarrassed, you walked to Sirius and gave him a short hug, which he reciprocated, and did the same to Tonks right after.

“Thank you for having me here,” you said to your oldest cousin, then turned to the rest of the group which whom you spent the holidays. “And thank you for Christmas.”

“You are welcome, dear,” Mrs. Weasley gave you a gentle smile. “Be careful.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

You pulled your wand from your pocket, apparating into an alley close to King’s Cross with your luggage, and making sure to hide it before grabbing your chest and walking into the station.

You only came close to seeing George and the others when you were already sat and eating, trying your best to provide Eleanor with details of your alleged trip to the South of France.

“The sky was very blue in the morning and it was very sunny,” you lied. “And some days were warm, but some others could be pretty cold, so our activities were very variable.”

Your friend sighed.

“I wish I had someone to invite me to the south of France,” she said, a bit sadly. “Instead, I get Roger Davis asking me to be his Valentine’s date.”

You frowned, turning to her in confusion, and your friend seemed to realize she’d left something out of the conversation, smiling openly in excitement.

“Oh, we’re having a Hogsmeade trip right in Valentine’s day. Isn’t it nice?”

You nodded a bit but didn’t smile back at her.

“Well, I hope you have fun.”

Eleanor furrowed her brows.

“And you’re not gonna show up?” she looked confused. “It’s Valentine’s Day!”

You sighed.

“Exactly. What do you want me to be doing out there? Spending Valentine’s Day alone because you don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend is completely different from spending it alone because you and your boyfriend can’t be together.”

Her face changed from surprise and confusion to empathy and sadness, and the brunette by your side rested her elbow on the table.

“Sorry. I forgot that” she muttered. “It must suck for you he is so far away.”

You sighed, trying hard not to look at where you knew your boyfriend was watching you.

“Yeah. It does.”

When you turned to Draco, your brother seemed to be watching you in silence for what felt like more than a short time.

“Do you wanna walk around or something?” he offered. “We haven’t had the time to talk.”

You glanced around you, but he was already standing up, and you had no choice but to follow him. When you reached your brother, he offered you his arm and guided you outside the great hall.

You two walked silently for a while until Draco stopped and turned to look at your face.

“I’m gonna ask you a question and I want you to think about what you’re gonna answer,” he said slowly, not in an accusatory tone, but in one of nervousness.

“Alright.”

“Why are you hiding your boyfriend from us?”

You took a breath.

“Draco…” you sighed out. “I…”

“I know he is from Hogwarts,” your brother interrupted you. “I know you haven’t gone to France since we last visited it, I know you sneak around Hogwarts at night to see whoever this guy is, and I know there is some reason you don’t want us to know him.”

You felt your body tense, and rubbed a hand over your face, trying to find

“He is not exactly what mum and dad would want for me,” you crossed your arms.

Your brother’s lips pressed in a thin line while you tried to find a way to give as little information as possible about George.

“Does he mistreat you? Is pressuring you to…”

“No,” you shook your head. “No, never. He’s an amazing person. He treats me like I’m a princess!” you opened a smile, but it died soon after. “But he’s not…”

“A Slytherin,” your brother finished your sentence.

You nodded.

George wasn’t a Slytherin, nor from a rich family, nor someone who believed in blood supremacy. He was everything your family was repulsed by and, worse than that in their eyes was a Weasley.

“I don’t want to disappoint them,” you muttered.

This time, it was true. You were bracing yourself for the moment you’d need to turn your back to your parents and to Draco, but you knew it’d arrive, eventually.

“Or you.”

Your brother just stared at your face and breathed deeply, trying hard not to break down.

“Draco, he is the only person in my life who I know is not involved with…” you stopped your words. “He is the only place I can look at and now I won’t have You-Know-Who’s shadow over my shoulder.”

To that, Draco swallowed hard.

“What about me?”

You shook your head.

“I can’t drag you into this with me,” you pointed. “And I can’t let anyone think that I need you there to make my decision, I want you out of this, do you hear me?”

Draco frowned.

“I can talk to father, I can try and…”

“I mean what I said,” you interrupted him. “I want you out of this.”

ller than you now, and you knew he’d be just as tall as your father.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” he questioned, a bit strained.

You didn’t. If there was one thing you didn’t know was what you were doing, but you couldn’t say that to him. So, you moved away from him and smiled, touching his cheek with your right hand.

“I always know what I’m doing, little brother.” 


	40. XL

Your heart and head were equally pounding while walking through the corridors, ignoring how the students around you opened a large space for you to walk by, clearing the way.

You found Draco walking in what looked like the direction of the Great Hall and didn’t waste time before pulling him aside to where there was a tree stump. 

“What…”

You continued to guide him until they were alone and threw the newspaper on his lap before looking around, assuring yourself no one was watching you two. 

“Read the list,” you tried to keep your tone calm. “Look at the last person.”

Draco complied and only needed a short look down before looking up at you again.

The memories and photos you had of your aunt Bella showed a woman much more beautiful than what the Daily Prophet was giving you, but she was still the same person.

Bellatrix Lestrange, convicted for the torture and permanent incapacitation of Alice and Frank Longbottom.

Your aunt and another nine Death Eaters had escaped Azkaban in a mass breakout.

“Are we supposed to do anything?” your brother whispered. “Are we supposed to say anything?”

You sighed.

“We’re teenagers, Draco,” you reminded him, rolling your eyes. “We just… Wait and see what is gonna happen.”

Sirius was right. You couldn’t just go home after Hogwarts. Your Aunt Bella loved the Dark Lord above anything and anyone in her life, and more than her life itself, and everyone who didn’t align with her was considered an enemy, regardless of being family or not.

Draco tapped his foot down nervously.

“Do you think she’s going to our home?” he questioned, only loud enough for you to hear.

You shifted on your feet, crossing your arms.

“Would you go to my home if you broke out of Azkaban?”

He frowned, giving you a look.

“As long as you weren’t the one who put me there, yes. I don’t think there’s anyone else I could turn to.”

You reached out and squeezed his hand, a bit touched by his words, but also feeling guilty. You’d leave, but you couldn’t have Draco leaving with you, not while he was still at Hogwarts and not while you were under someone else’s protection.

You had a plan. George and Fred had asked you to work with them once they opened their store, and you’d get a house with your salary. You only needed two bedrooms, one for you and one for Draco. If all the Weasleys could share a bathroom, you two could do the same with much less inconvenience. The living room and the kitchen didn’t need to be separated, and you could put a table and two chairs where you could eat. It wasn’t as spacious as the Malfoy Manor, but it was temporary. You’d find a way to have the comfort you both were used too in no time once the business progressed.

“Do you remember what I told you the night we came back?” you questioned, approaching him slowly until you were standing right above him.

Draco nodded slowly.

“I do.”

“And what was it?” you questioned.

He opened a small smile.

“That you always know what you’re doing.”

You nodded, mirroring his smile.

“I always know what I’m doing,” you repeated. “Do you trust me, little brother?”

Draco nodded again.

“Said it,” you whispered.

“I trust you,” he affirmed. “Why are you asking me that?”

“I’m gonna need you to remember our conversations soon,” you sighed. “And remember that you trust me, okay?”

Your brother looked into your eyes, probably looking for whatever you were hiding, but finally confirmed.

“Okay.”


	41. XLI

You chug down on a glass of water, watching as Eleanor dolled up in front of the mirror, feeling antsy but holding it back.

A month had passed and you still weren’t excited about Valentine’s Day, not even  _ close  _ to that, honestly. Your friend, on the other hand, was trying her best to look  _ perfect  _ for her date.

You didn’t trust Eleanor, not as much as you did once. You could still remember her green eyes staring at yours and her pale face while she squeezed you and questioned you over whether or not you’d join the Dark Lord once you left Hogwarts. You loved your best friend, but you could no longer see her the same way since then.

“How do I look?”

“Amazing,” you opened a smile. “You’re going now?”

“Yep,” she gave it a spin in front of the mirror, grinning. “Are you sure you’re not coming?”

“As a heart attack,” you confirmed.

Your dark-haired friend let out a sigh but picked her purse up in the same cheerful manner she had spun just a moment earlier.

“Wish me luck.”

“Good luck.”

You watched silently as she left, and went back to your book, but your reading didn’t take much time, as you were quickly pulled to your shared diary. Waiting for you, there was a message from George.

‘Meet me in the Room of Requirement’

You frowned but looked around for a quill. When you didn’t find it, you got off of the bed. You were decently dressed, so there was no reason not to go.

The common room was empty, except for a couple of first years that seemed to be studying, and no one paid any attention to you. The corridors were even emptier, and you found your way to the Room rather quickly. When you reached it, the door opened to you before you could think of any request.

You entered with a frown, and George was standing inside with a very formal posture.

“Madam,” he said slowly, trying to keep himself serious, and you rolled your eyes.

“I knew what I was getting into when I said yes to dating you, Weasley,” you pointed. “No need to try and impress me.”

Your boyfriend chuckled and rolled his eyes, but followed your words all the same, going back to his usual standing.

“What are we doing in here?” you questioned.

He seemed surprised for a moment.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, have you forgotten?” he pointed. “We might not be able to go outside and shout out from the rooftops how in love we are but that doesn’t mean that I can’t treat my girl with a nice...”

He walked behind a wardrobe standing in the middle of the empty room and pulled something from behind, exposing it to your eyes rather proudly.

“… Picnic,” he raised a picnic basket similar to the one he’d taken with him when you two had gone out together during the summer holiday. “See, I know this is no graveyard, but it’s the best we can have.”

Your face softened in a smile and you walked to George, cupping his cheek and giving his lips a kiss.

“I love the idea.”

He opened a grin and pulled you along to where he’d already lied a large sheet where you could sit.

“I went to the kitchen and Ringo was very happy helping me,” he pointed. “He made some great stuff.”

You watched silently as he pulled things from inside the basket. Fruits like strawberries and cherries, grapes and red stuff in general, some bread, heart-shaped finger sandwiches, pastries and lots of chocolates. Everything seemed to be ready for the two of you to enjoy.

So you sat there, eating comfortably and talking about stupid stuff until the food was gone – mostly because of George, but you’d had your fair share -, and lied down on the blanket after cleaning it.

Your boyfriend reached out for your hand when you were down, holding it and putting it over his chest as your fingers entangled.

“Six months together,” he muttered. “Wow. We survived that. It’s unbelievable.”

You chuckled, staring at the ceiling – it was filled with floating white clouds, something that your boyfriend had probably requested.

“I thought my dad would have found out at this point,” you confessed. “And here we are.”

“Here we are,” he sounded excited. “Wait… Why did you say yes if you thought your father would figure things out?”

You shrugged.

“I couldn’t think of not being with you,” you muttered. “I had to try.”

George turned to his side and you turned your head, finding his face right in front of yours.

“Was it worth it?” he whispered.

You couldn’t find words, so you just nodded slowly.

Your boyfriend watched you without any words and reached with a hand to cup your cheek.

“Can I?” he whispered.

“Please.”

His lips felt amazing on yours, and you reached for his shoulder, pulling him a bit closer. You didn’t have much time to spend with him – Draco would be looking for you soon and Eleanor wouldn’t spend the whole day in her date –, so you had to enjoy the time you had.

“You wanna sit up?” he questioned, pulling away from your lips to speak.

You shook your head.

“I’m okay if you are. Are you okay staying like this?”

George blushed, but only caressed your chin.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”


	42. XLII

You tilted your head to the side, staring into the new educational decree.

‘Any student found in possession of the magazine The Quibbler will be expelled.’, it read.

Merlin, this was getting more and more ridiculous by the minute.

“A magazine,” you sighed out. “She’s now afraid of a magazine?”

You had read it right in the morning before the 26th Decree had been nailed to the wall. But you could see why this was dangerous. While everyone was whispering about it, a small group of you and other Slytherins had stayed in silence for the whole day. In his listing of Death Eaters, Potter had named your father and at least one member of the Goyle, Crabbe, Rosier and Nott families – in Eleanor’s family, more than a single person.

The boys were almost furious with Potter’s revelations – which were what they were. He wasn’t lying at all -, but you and Eleanor were probably the only ones trying to process things rationally.

You kept your head up, anyway. It wasn’t like anyone could come to you asking questions, anyway, and the whispers around you and your friends had stopped, eventually.

Umbridge next move was to remove Trelawney from her position, and the headmaster quickly replaced her with the Centaur Firenze – who displeased her even more than the first professor, honestly. His classes were certainly a lot more interesting than Trelawney’s.

With all that happening, Potter was now teaching your D.A. group how to conjure a Patronus, and while everyone else was doing very well – George’s Patronus was something canine-like, in the other hand, you were having a hard time producing one.

To produce a Patronus, you needed to conjure the best of your memories. The thing is, you couldn’t bring yourself to do so. All the stress in your mind and the things happening both to yourself and your family were taking too much space and you couldn’t remember a single moment that was happy enough to make it work.

It was one of D.A. night and you were leaving when Draco showed up out of nowhere, seeming very excited over something and seeing you before you could produce a decent lie to tell him.

“Hey,” your brother stopped in the middle of the common room. “Going somewhere?”

You took a second to answer. If you said yes, he’d be all over you in mere seconds to know where you would go in such a time.

“No,” you decided to lie. “Are you?”

Your brother frowned for a short moment but opened a grin.

“We’re gonna bust Potter and his friends,” he sounded proud. “Wanna come along?”

You felt your heart racing and crossed your arms as if to hide it beating against your chest wall.

“I think I’m good here,” you faked a grin. “I’ll just study a bit more and go to bed.”

He walked to you, kissed your cheek, and left.

You almost ran back to your dorm, trying to look calm when coming in, and searched around for a quill, taking your diary. You wrote down an emergency message to George, warning him about Umbridge, although you knew it wasn’t enough.

“Y/N?” you heard and turned your head to see that Eleanor had opened the curtains around her bed. “What are you doing over there?”

You froze, feeling your hands cold.

“I forgot one of my books in the library,” you put yourself on your feet. “I need it to study Potions. I’m gonna get it back.”

Your friends stared at you, squinting in confusion.

“This late?”

“It’s really important,” you lied. “It has my notes on it, I’ll be back soon.”

You left quickly, still able to hear someone comment on how you were ‘such a nerd’, but you didn’t care enough to answer. You ran to the seventh-floor as fast as you could, but everyone was already running when you got there, so you used your presence as a distraction and pointed empty corridors so the others could hide and leave. You looked for George, but he was nowhere to be found, and when you were ready to leave, someone calling your name made you stop. Draco.

“Y/N!”

He was holding Potter by his elbow, and no other than Umbridge was right behind him.

“What are you doing here?”

Potter’s eyes dug into yours, and Umbridge’s gaze was heavy enough it was weighing on your damn shoulders.

“Chasing Gryffindors around for not following the rules?” you tried to sound amused. “Sounds very fun.”

Your brother’s grin grew larger, and the dark-haired boy’s eyes didn’t move from you.

“Where are you taking Potter?” you questioned.

“The headmaster’s office.”

You nodded slowly.

“I’m guessing we got some bit things against him and his friends.”

Your brother grimaced for a moment and you tried not to visibly relax.

“Potter here will help us with that,” he decided. “Don’t worry. Wanna come along?”

You opened a grin.

“Can I?” you questioned, then turned to Umbridge with your best hopeful eyes. “Ma’am?”

The woman only smiled.

“Of course, darling. Come on.”

You followed the trio silently and exchanged a look with Dumbledore when your brother shoved Potter inside the room.

“You two can go,” he pointed at you and your brother. “Thank you, Miss and Mister Malfoy.”

You gave Potter another short look and took your brother’s arm.

“Come on, Draco.”

“But...” he tried to protest.

“Come on,” you interrupted him. “We don’t beat dead dogs.”


	43. XLIII

“Are you sure, dear?” Umbridge sipped on her pink teacup. “I’m sure we can use your good services in our Inquisitorial Squad.”

“I’m sure, ma’am,” you smiled politely. “I’m abstaining myself from any extracurricular activity this year so I can focus on getting Outstanding grades in every subject.”

She just opened another one of those incredibly annoying smiled. Merlin, if you could only punch her right in the middle of that stupid face.

“I’m sure your parents must be proud of you.”

Your parents. That was the big reason why she seemed to try to get that close to you so much. Your very influential parents.

“I hope they are, ma’am. Can I go now? I was hoping I could study a bit before my next class.”

“Of course,” she shooed you with one hand. “Go, I don’t want to retain you for longer than necessary.”

You left. Walking your way to the library, you felt a hand pulling you by your elbow just as you approached your favourite spot.

You pulled your wand, ready to attack whoever it was, but relaxed when you realized it was just George.

“Where the hell have you been?” you questioned worried but were interrupted by a sudden kiss on the lips. “George!”

“Look, I don’t have much time,” your boyfriend interrupted you before you could protest more. “I just wanted to see you one last time before you’re done with school.”

You frowned. Before you were done with school. You alone?

“What do you mean?”

“I’m leaving. Today,” he opened a large grin.

You shook your head,

“You can’t!”

“I can!” he said back. “Look, if Dumbledore isn’t here, there is no reason for me or Fred to be here. We won’t learn any more than we already know in this place, and our future isn’t in the intellectual area of work, you know that. We’re gonna open our store, start our business. There is no reason to endure more months of this stupid frog lady.”

You were shocked. You knew George and his twin didn’t enjoy school very much, and with Umbridge there to make your lives a living hell, you couldn’t blame them and shared the same dreadful feeling. But leaving?! Leaving was a huge decision.

“I’m not staying here with that woman as Headmistress,” he pointed. “That’s decided.”

You nodded slowly.

“I can’t go with you,” you muttered. “I need to finish school.”

To that, George cupped your cheek and smiled gently.

“I would never ask you to do such a thing. That’s why we needed this goodbye.”

He reached around you, pulling you close to his body and dipping your dramatically just as he gave you a passionate kiss.

“I love you, Y/N Black Malfoy.”

You opened a smile, making him mirror you and get you back on your feet.

“I always wanted to do that,” he confessed, excited. “But I mean it. You don’t have to say anything back. I just wanted you to know.”

You reached out, taking his hand in yours. Did you love George? Of course you did. But saying it aloud? It wasn’t exactly easy.

“Be careful,” you kissed his knuckles. “I won’t be out there to protect you from jinxes.”

He chuckled.

“Yes, ma’am.”

You sighed out.

“I’m gonna miss you.”

“I’m gonna miss you too,” George moved a hand and put a strand of your hair behind your ear. “Don’t miss the show, okay?”

You frowned.

“What show?”

Your boyfriend chuckled and opened the largest and wickedest grin you’d ever seen on his face.

“You don’t expect me to go without a show, right?”

. . .

You were walking out of class at the end of the day when your eyes caught the shining fireworks, and someone yelled a watch out before you could take a step too close. 

The corridor was starting to get crowded with students, and Umbridge was standing among them with her swollen face red from anger. 

The floor of the corridor in front of you had turned into a swamp, and you were glad that you had stopped in the middle of the way before your shoes could get dirty.

“Accio Firebolts!”

In the middle of the crowd, in front of the headmistress, your boyfriend and his twin were standing with the most wicked of the smiles. 

“And before we can leave,” George ran in your direction, putting his hands around your waist and dipping you before kissing your lips very dramatically. 

When he pulled away, you were left frozen with your hands and palms up, completely shocked. He mounted his broomstick and shot right up to his brother’s side. 

“Malfoy!” he yelled from up there. “If you ever get tired of living around snakes, mail me. I’ve always had a crush on you!”

With that, they too flight, and left before you could even process the situation around. 

It was Eleanor who first spoke after the noise went down. 

“Okay, what in Melin’s sake just happened here?”


	44. XLIV

You stretched your arms above your head, hearing your bones popping, just as you stood in front of the Great Hall. You were all done with the tests and felt like you had had a pretty good result. Without George around, things were boring, and you felt very lonely, but it gave you lots of time to study and you couldn’t deny it.

You were just on your way to the dungeons when Ginevra bumped into you, looking around to check if anyone had seen the two of you.

“We need your help right now. Come on.”

You didn’t think much, only following her to somewhere safe.

“What is it?” you enquired.

“You know who,” she whispered in a fast pace. “We think he has Sirius, but we don’t know yet so we need to try and communicate with him, but we need to get to Umbridge’s fireplace without her knowing we’re there.”

You frowned, a bit lost.

“I just finished the worst test period of my whole life,” you pointed. “Can you please just say the resumed version?”

Your boyfriend’s sister sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Sirius might be in danger and you need to distract Umbridge.”

Finally, you nodded, running after her in the corridors just to find Umbridge in the turn of a corner. You hid behind a wall, fixing your hair for a moment and taking a breath before turning in her direction with the calmest face you could find.

“Ma’am,” you tried to smile. “Good day.”

Umbridge’s eyebrows shot up for a short moment when her eyes fell on you, but her expression quickly became pleased.

“Miss Malfoy,” she smiled, stopping on the tracks. “Aren’t you doing your tests?”

“I’m done with them,” you approached her. “I was wondering if we could talk a bit. I’m almost finished with schools and now that I’ve finished my NEWT’s, we can spend some time together.”

She opened a smile, looking quite happy with the idea.

“You never told me what you aim to do after school,” she noticed.

“I was thinking of applying to work with Improper Use of Magic,” you confessed. It wasn’t a lie, that was one of your favourite options.

Her face changed in surprise.

“Oh, is that it?” she took her hand to her heart. “Oh, my dearest, I joined the Ministry straight out of school in this very department!”

Your eyes went wide. Merlin, out of all possibilities…

“I can find you a position as an intern as soon as you leave Hogwarts. I’ll be talking to my colleagues when I get to my office. They’ll love to hear that someone as intelligent and ambitious as you has her eyes on us.”

You almost panicked. She couldn’t get to her office.

“But ma’am,” you jumped in front of her. “You can mail them any time. Hogwarts is so empty and silent with the tests happening, we can have such a pleasant and lovely conversation while walking to the gardens.”

When you finished talking, something seemed to have clicked on Umbridge, and the woman turned to you.

“You must excuse me, miss Malfoy, someone is in my office.”

You ran after her, but it was of no help. The inquisitorial squad arrived just as fast as she was walking, grabbing the members of Dumbledore’s Army as they found them trying to fight or even speak. When you arrived at the room, your brother was already holding Potter and the members of the squad had everyone else in their grasps.

“It’s good that you’re here, Y/N,” she straightened her back. “You’ll see what discipline is from the first hand.”

Draco gave you a smile and you could feel everyone’s eyes glued to you in panic, begging for you to do something and help them, but you couldn’t. In the current situation, unless you got Umbridge out of the room for some reason, you couldn’t do a thing.

You looked around the room, however, trying to find something to distract her and at least one of the members of the Inquisitorial Squad. With another D.A. member, you’d probably be able to take the woman down and free the others. Thinking didn’t help a lot, though, and when Snape arrived, you calmed down a bit. He was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He could help Sirius.

“He’s got Padfoot!” Potter shouted, and you slowly walked to your brother’s side, close to the door.

Snape turned to the boy, and you reached your hand, snitching Potter’s wand from Draco’s robes and hiding it in yours before he could have a chance of catching you. Years of childish teasing had given you quite an advantage over him when the situation asked for intense measures.

Granger was the one who broke down, and for a second you were as confused as everyone else in the room, but her words quickly made sense to you.

“It’s ready,” the bushy-haired girl stuttered, and you raised your wand, using it to slowly using it to retrieve her wand from the pocket of the Slytherin girl who was holding her. You did it again and again and quickly had your own pocket filled with the wands the members of the squad had taken away.

“You, me and Potter are going there. Right now,” the headmistress decided. “Y/N, dearest,” she called your name. “Do I trust you and the squad to the care of these rule breakers?”

You nodded.

“Of course, ma’am.”

She walked past you with Potter in front of her and Granger by her side, and you used the situation to bump into the Gryffindor girl and put their wands in her pocket.

Once they were out, your brother opened a grin.

“We get to do whatever we want to you now.”

You let out a sigh. The time was now.

“Draco,” you called, and your brother turned to you. “I’m really sorry.”

He frowned, his face filled with confusion.

“For what?”

“I really didn’t want you to find about it this way.”

Before he or anyone else could react, you pulled your wand right from your pocket.

“Stupefy!” you pointed at the girl holding Ginevra and the teen was sent to the other side of the room, giving your boyfriend’s sister enough time to run to you and retrieve her own wand, fighting the rest of the group and freeing her friends from their grasps. Before your own brother could curse you, you stunned him, and all five of you locked the door behind yourselves, leaving their wands outside.

“Hey,” the redhead girl stopped you from running. “That was really smart.”

“Thanks. I think before I jump.”

She chuckled, but you couldn’t mirror her. Your own brother was stunned, locked inside a room after you betrayed his trust.

“Come on. We need help the Potter and Granger.”


	45. XLV

The fact that you took flight in a Thestral – an animal you couldn’t even see – was probably the weirdest part of your day, but in the end, you ended up not thinking much of it. According to Luna Lovegood, they could only be seen for those who had seen death and taken it as reality, something you’d never quite experienced in your life. You’d never held onto something as hard as you did to the invisible animals. They were fast, flying over the castle and onto the country in a matter of minutes.

You landed in London, and even if you could hide it, your legs were showing the fear still in your veins. Merlin, you’d never fly in those things again in your life. Never.

You all squeezed into a telephone box to get into the Ministry, holding your breaths to try and make everyone fit. Ronald pressed the numbers and Potter announced your intentions just for you to receive badges of identification with your names over ‘Rescue Mission’.

You followed Potter silently. While he’d protested bringing the others in the journey to rescue Sirius, he hadn’t dared to say a word about you going. You were part of Sirius’ family, one of the few blood relatives he still had, and he respected that.

Inside the Department of Mysteries, things were as quiet as at the entrance of the Ministry. There wasn’t a single living soul there. Maybe Potter was wrong. Maybe Sirius was safe.

You walked and walked, searching for anything that could help.

“Maybe he isn’t here,” you finally voiced your concerns, and Potter only glanced at you.

“He is here. I know he is.”

“Harry,” Ronald called, and all of you turned to him.

You were inside a room filled with shelves, and he had apparently taken time to snoop around.

“Come see this. It has your name on it.”

You watched in silence as he walked to his friend’s side, finally identifying a glass orb. Once Potter grabbed it, however, a voice behind you made all the hairs on your body raise in a shiver.

“Very well, Potter. Now, turn around and give it to me.”

You knew the shadows well enough to quickly recognize what was happening.

“Shit,” you whispered under your breath.

The man behind you was wearing a mask, but if years of living with him didn’t give you knowledge enough to recognize his voice, standing posture and even speech and breathing pattern, you’d be damned.

You hadn’t turned around completely, too scared to even raise your head and give your back more than a glance. Maybe the cat wasn’t out of the bag yet. If you walked away very silently, he wouldn’t recognize you and everything would be alright.

“To me, Potter,” he repeated. “And Y/N.”

You felt your legs shaking. However, you kept your face cold and blank and turned to stare at your father’s direction.

“I want to know exactly what are you doing here with them.”

You eyed the skinny figure behind him, recognizing your aunt Bella, and held your wand tightly in your hand.

“I want to know where Sirius is,” Potter said, completely ignorant to the very tense family moment between you and your father.

“I want to know where Sirius is,” your aunt mimicked in a childish way.

This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all.

The group of Death Eaters was so big that they could make a large circle around you if they wanted to.

“Give it to me, Potter,” your father insisted. “Or we’re going to start a real fight here.”

“Start it, then.”

With no choice, you raised your wand. Your aunt pulled her own wand out, uncovering her head. Her face couldn’t be worse.

“I always knew you would be a weird one,” she noticed, looking at your face. “Lucius, don’t you ever discipline your daughter?”

You didn’t need to see his face to know that your father’s lips had twitched.

You felt Ginevra’s hand on your wrist, taking your attention away from your father.

“Reducto,” she whispered. “Wait for the signal.”

So you waited. Your father’s eyes were moving from you to Potter and back while he talked to the boy, and you felt like you were about to vomit. When you thought about confronting your parents, this wasn’t exactly what you had in mind.

“Now!” Potter yelled.

You all bellowed the spell, cussing random sides of the room and watching and more and more prophecies became shattered glass onto the floor. You ran and fought, throwing curses and protecting yourselves.

You were just under a desk, trying not to have a panic attack and feeling blood pouring from somewhere in your body when the idea finally occurred to you.

Squeezing your wand tightly in your hand, you closed your eyes.

You tried to remember everything good you’d ever had. Everything that had made your life change for the good. George’s actions, the way he cared for you and made you feel like the only girl in the world.

‘I love you, Y/N Black Malfoy’, were his words, so you repeated them in your mind. Again and again and again.

“Expecto Patronum.”

The Siberian Husky emerging from your wand was probably the most beautiful thing you’ve ever laid eyes on. You sent it away to contact the order, to help and save all of you.

It was Mr Nott who found you and caught you after some fight. Honestly, you were hurt. You had been hit by more spells than you could count, you’d fell down and hit your head twice, and you could feel blood dripping from your forehead, soaking your hair and your face while he handed you over to your father.

“When we’re done here, the two of us are going to sit and talk. No more trips, no more boyfriend, do you hear me?” he hissed. “I didn’t give you limits when I was supposed to, I won’t commit that mistake twice.”

As soon as he was done speaking, you saw as figures appeared in front of you. Sirius, Lupin, Mad-Eye, Tonks, and Kingsley. Before your father could raise his wand, Tonks stunned him, and Potter’s voice caught you.

“Go get Ron,” he yelled, and you crawled to where you knew your boyfriend’s brother was.

You couldn’t, however, complete the path. You were hit in the middle of the way with something you couldn’t even identify, banging your head for the third time.

This time, darkness came for you, and everything went black.


	46. Epilogue

You sat alone and silently in the cabin of the train. The last time Draco had been even close to you was when you were in the hospital wing, staying there overnight to make sure you were fine and leaving right when you opened your eyes.

Sirius was dead, your aunt Bella had killed him, and your father had been arrested along with the other Death Eaters. You couldn’t go home, but you also didn’t have the Black Mansion to run to now. You, who had always had a steady path in life and a safe future assured in front of you, now had no single idea of what you were going to do or where you would go.

“Hey,” you heard by the door and moved your eyes away from the window.

Standing outside of your cabin, Granger, Longbottom, Potter, Lovegood and the two Weasleys were standing silently, having just changed from their uniforms.

“Can we sit with you?” Lovegood questioned.

You were surprised for a moment, but nodded, uncrossing your hands over your crossed legs and trying not to look defensive.

Potter closed the door behind himself before sitting down after everyone else, and you stared at each other silently, the tense silence filling the place.

“You look well,” Granger tried to sound flattering.

“Thank you,” you responded, trying your best not to sound stiff. “Madam Pomfrey is very good at avoiding scars. I look as good as new.”

She only nodded and you went back to the uncomfortable silence from before, but they all raised some conversation a while later. They tried including you, but only managed to get a few words out of your lips.

“How are you spending your summer?” Lovegood questioned, looking at you, and you shifted on your spot a bit.

“I’m not sure,” you looked at her. “I…”

You hesitated, taking a painful breath.

“I truly have no idea.”

Something seemed to click on Granger, and she looked at you with a frown and something you couldn’t quite recognise.

“Y/N,” she said your name slowly, almost testing it on her tongue. “You do have where to go, right?”

You forced a smile onto your face, not even hesitating in lying to make sure you still looked strong and calm in their eyes. You wouldn’t let them of all people think that you were lost. It’s not that you had no trust in them – risking your life besides someone does wonders to a relationship – but everything has a limit.

“Of course I do,” you lied. “You don’t think I’d risk everything without a plan b, do you?”

Ginerva turned to you, clearly believing in your lie.

“You think before you jump,” she repeated what you’d said to her in that other day.

You nodded.

“Exactly, Ginerva.”

The girl in front of you grimaced.

“You’re my brother’s girlfriend,” she reminded you. “You should just call me Ginny.”

You raised your eyebrows in surprise but soon recovered your posture.

“Sure,” you nodded. “Ginny.”

* * *

 

You waited for everyone to leave the train before doing so, but that didn’t help much as the students were mostly all on the platform when you stepped out.

“Y/N!” you heard your name, and only had the time to turn around before George had his arms around you and his lips over yours right after.

Everyone stopped to watch you two, but for the first time, you didn’t care. He was your boyfriend and no one had anything to do with that, and your father wasn’t there any more to scare you.

“I missed you so much,” he exclaimed when you pulled away for a breath.

“I missed you too,” you said in a soft voice, holding his hands.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind you made you freeze. It wasn’t a random someone, but no one other than your mother.

You turned around in silence, shielding your boyfriend with your body. You were ready for any reaction of hers, except the one that she actually had. Your mother looked at your deep in the eyes and put a chest right between the two of you on the floor.

“Goodbye,” she said, turning around and leaving with Draco.

There was no trying to coach you home with her, or any questioning; she just left and didn’t even look back while you couldn’t tear your eyes from where she’d gone with your brother. Had you just been… disowned from your family? Why hadn’t she said a word?

“Come on,” George took the chest, ignoring how everyone’s eyes were on the two of you. “Let’s get out of here.”

You followed him out of the platform and felt your cheeks hot when your boyfriend’s mother engulfed you in a hug.

“Y/N!” she exclaimed. “It’s been so long! Look at you, you’re taller than I remember. You’re invited to dinner with us, I won’t take no for an answer.”

You almost froze in your spot, confused with the rapid words she was firing in your direction and didn’t have much of a choice when George wrapped his arm around you and apparated into the Burrow.

Your mind, however, was still with your mother. Why hadn’t she said anything? What was in the chest she had given you? What had your father told her?

“Come on,” George pulled you along with him to his room. “I need to show you out stocks, the store is opening next week and we need to teach you the basics before starting.”

You nodded, almost dismissively, as he continued to talk.

“We put you in charge of the potions, because, let’s be honest, you’re the best potion-maker we’ve ever met, and we know a lot of people.”

You opened a small smile, flattered, and he opened the door to the room to you. There, writing something down in the paper, was Fred.

“Sup, Y/N/N?” he smiled. “Hey, are you good with money?”

You shrugged.

“I don’t really know. I never had a problem with it.”

_ Well, not before now, _ you reminded yourself.

The twins exchanged looks and shrugged.

“Okay, sit down,” George instructed. “Let’s go through this.”

The three of you sat down through the details of the “Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes” store, from products to creating to the restocking system. By the time Mrs Weasley had called you for dinner, things were settled and you felt prepared for your first job.

You were just leaving the room when your boyfriend held you by your elbow.

“Hey…” he took a breath. “You… You got a plan, right?”

You shifted on your feet.

“Because if you don’t, you can crash here,” he offered. “We have a bed where you can sleep and it’s gonna be just like your last birthday, but for a bit longer.”

You gave your boyfriend a small smile.

“I told you, I’m going to be okay,” you lied.

You had crafted a plan but it wasn’t the best one. You’d get yourself a room in the Leaky Cauldron, paying for the money you had in hands since Hogwarts, sell what you could to keep yourself there and pay for the inn with the salary from the store. It wouldn’t be a big life and you’d need to keep an eye on your spendings, but that’s okay. You’d be fine, right?

George reached out and cupped your face.

“You promised not to lie to me, remember?” he whispered.

Your cheeks warmed up, but you tried to play it cool.

“Since when do you know when I’m lying or not?”

He shrugged.

“I don’t, not much,” he confessed. “But I know how you look when you’re scared, and that exactly what I see in your eyes right now.”

You bit your lip.

“I have a plan, George,” you insisted. “Not the best plan, but one that will work.”

He sighed but kissed your lips softly.

“Alright, then. I trust you,” he caressed your skin. “Come on, let’s go down.”

You followed him downstairs in silence, holding his hand and trying to keep a neutral face while walking down, but stopped surprised when your caught sight of Mrs Weasley talking to a very familiar pink-haired lady.

“Tonks,” you stopped beside them. “Hey. I didn’t know you were coming for dinner too.”

It was good to see your cousin. The last time you’d been in the same place was during the battle where you’d hit your head, but you had exchanged several letters since then.

“Tonks here was just telling me how she came to pick you up,” Molly explained, and you furrowed your eyebrows in response.

“Pick me up?”

Your cousin opened a grin that was a mixture of wicked and amused.

“Kiddo, you’re coming to live with me.”

 


End file.
